The heartwarming tale of ‘Tembo’ the pangolin living in Gorongosa National Park
As first appeared in Integrity Magazine in Mozambique, here. Written by Omardine Omar.
March 14 2022
Mozambique’s largest protected area has rescued and rehabilitated close to 100 pangolin since 2018
Tembo was abandoned by his mother at a young age, found in a weak and malnourished state by rangers.
Image by Omardine Omar.
‘Tembo’ the pangolin arrived at Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in August 2022, after being rescued in the bordering area between the provinces of Tete and Manica.
Nicknamed "Tembo", in honour of a GNP official, António Tonecas, who has worked as veterinarian at GNP for eight years.
Tonecas told our reporter that the incredible animal arrived at that park totally malnourished and very weak, since he was still very small and his mother had abandoned him, making the work of poachers easier.
However, after the rescue, a long process of care followed until the animal recovered and began to feed properly.
Tonecas revealed that since 2018, 98 pangolins have been recovered in different contexts in the area. The veterinarian said that the sensitization and awareness of the communities around GNP has helped significantly in the reduction of pangolin trafficking in recent years.
Tonecas explained that Tete province had the most cases, but as locals started to learn that the pangolin is a protected animal, some people began communicating with park authorities that they found the animal.
Baby pangolins feed on milk and later on ants and other insects. Our team on the ground saw Tembo, an affable and strong animal, different from the one they described rescuing, and he is almost ready to be released into the wild.
It should be noted that the GNP veterinary laboratory has been recovering several animals, including lions and elephants among others.
“At this time, I found myself taking care of three pangolins that were in difficult and worrying situations, such as the pangolin Tembo. He was already on his way to the black market of Asian countries, where it could serve to feed the desires of certain individuals who go to great lengths to accommodate their supposedly medicinal and sadistic interests, such as preparing a soup with pangolin scales,” said Tonecas.
However, in recent years, Mozambique has taken to the court several national and foreign individuals involved in the trafficking of protected animals. In some cases, the accused have been sentenced to maximum and cumulative sentences, which can reach up to 30 years in prison, due to the recurrence of poaching crimes.
This article is reproduced here as part of the African Conservation Journalism Programme, funded in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe by USAID’s VukaNow: Activity. Implemented by the international conservation organisation Space for Giants, it aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Written articles from the Mozambican and Angolan cohorts are translated from Portuguese. Broadcast stories remain in the original language.
