--- title: "World Pangolin Day — the value of becoming a ball" description: "It was about being in the right place at the right time with a good lens. The result of this encounter was some very puzzled young lions, which knew there was food inside the ball but simply couldn’t get it." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "READY TO ROLL" author: "Rosalind Molteno and Gabriel Harmer" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/rosalind-molteno-and-gabriel-harmer/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-18-world-pangolin-day-the-value-of-becoming-a-ball/" published: "2025-02-18T22:15:04" updated: "2025-02-18T22:15:07" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 407 --- # World Pangolin Day — the value of becoming a ball > It was about being in the right place at the right time with a good lens. The result of this encounter was some very puzzled young lions, which knew there was food inside the ball but simply couldn’t get it. By Rosalind Molteno and Gabriel Harmer · Published 19 February 2025, 00:15 SAST · Updated 19 February 2025, 00:15 SAST ## Key points - In a morning that promised a lion's feast, the Kambula pride found themselves outwitted by a pangolin, who, despite being the main course on the menu, rolled into a ball and emerged unscathed, proving that sometimes the best survival strategy is simply to play dead while the world watches in bemusement. - A sunrise game drive in the Greater Kruger region revealed the elusive Kambula pride of lions, initially focused on a herd of buffalo. - Unexpectedly, the scene shifted as a male lion and two lionesses prioritized mating over the anticipated hunt. - A pangolin's entrance led to a surprising encounter, as young lions attempted to capture it, only for the pangolin to escape unharmed after an hour of chaos. - World Pangolin Day highlights the urgent need for conservation, as these trafficked creatures face extinction due to rising demand for their scales and meat. ## Content Guide Gabriel Harmer and I set off for a sunrise game drive in a private game reserve in the Greater Kruger region and soon came across the 20-strong Kambula pride of lions. They were lying, well-camouflaged in the long, dry winter grass, keenly watching a herd of buffalo in the distance. The scene seemed set for a hunt, so we waited patiently for some hunting action. There was action of another kind – a magnificent male lion and two lionesses were clearly more interested in mating. After a while, we drove towards the herd of buffalo where the Kambulas were on high alert, intensely focused on the buffalo. To our amazement, a pangolin strolled into the scene. Big mistake. The older females showed little interest but the young lions were onto it. The pangolin did what pangolins do best. It curled into a ball as the lions tried to figure out how to get the meat they knew was inside the scales. This went on for almost an hour, with the pangolin pounced on, mauled and batted around by several young lions. Finally, defeated, the lions moved away and, after a few minutes, the pangolin uncurled and walked towards us, completely unharmed. Then it disappeared into the safety of a termite mound. It was our ambassador for World Pangolin Day (15 February 25). ![The Kambula pride. (Photo:Rosalind Molteno)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/iQpWAuPryTgcyO2hwOzv3bHkivA=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/The-Kambula-pride.jpg) *The Kambula pride. (Photo: Rosalind Molteno)* ![Trying to unzip a pangolin.(Photo:Rosalind Molteno)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/PWTtLidJ4ToEmb2h_mr1tGozy5k=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Trying-to-unzip-a-pangolin-1.jpg) *Trying to unzip a pangolin. (Photo: Rosalind Molteno)* ![There's meat in there, Im certain, but how to get it.(Photo:Rosalind Molteno)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/R5y7NGvo-W1sR4hu20hf_aQIaNI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Theres-meat-in-there-Im-certain-but-how-to-get-it_.jpg) *There's meat in there, Im certain, but how to get it. (Photo: Rosalind Molteno)* ![Testing the situation. (Photo:Rosalind Molteno)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/RKKaBBwzRGrbWe7IvjuTVdJG7nY=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Testing-the-situation.jpg) *Testing the situation. (Photo: Rosalind Molteno)* ![Perhaps it needs patience. (Photo:Rosalind Molteno)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/zt_hac1mNXxknzbPjLtDjQIqN4o=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Perhaps-it-needs-patience.jpg) *Perhaps it needs patience. (Photo: Rosalind Molteno)* #### **Fact file** World Pangolin Day was started to draw attention to the threats that pangolins face and the urgent need to protect them. They are the world’s most trafficked wildlife. They are hunted and poached for their meat and their scales, which are believed to have medicinal properties in some traditional medicines. The demand for pangolin products is increasing, leading to a significant decline in their population. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, all eight species are threatened with extinction. World Pangolin Day is an opportunity to educate people about the importance of pangolins and their role in the ecosystem. It’s also a day to raise awareness about the need to protect and conserve them and to promote sustainable practices that can help reduce the demand for pangolin products. **DM** *For more information see the*[*African Pangolin Working Group*](https://africanpangolin.org/)*.* [YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REeWvTRUpMk)