CONSERV CONGO: PANGOLIN TRAFFICKING BUST & RESCUE
We are incredibly proud to support DRC-based wildlife conservation NGO Conserv Congo led by founder Adams Cassinga. In the world of conservation, victories don’t always make headlines, but they are happening quietly, powerfully, through alliances that span borders, sectors, and disciplines.
Read more about the wild pangolin Conserv Congo was able to save from illegal trafficking, and its race-against-time release back to the wild, thanks to cooperation and support across borders.
This story has been lightly edited & republished with the permission of Conserv Congo.
It began with a tip-off: two live pangolins were being held illegally in Kolwezi, a mining town in southern DRC (the Democratic Republic of Congo in central sub-saharan Africa). The Kolwezi Prosecutor’s Office responded immediately. On July 31, 2025, the Judicial Brigade, Environmental Police, and ICCN (Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature) with the support of Conserve Congo, raided the premises. Inside, they found two white-bellied pangolins. Alive. Barely.
The suspect was arrested. The animals were safe, but vulnerable.
Two pangolins found in the bust - alive but compromised after being taken from the wild and captured for days without food or water.
A Critical 72 Hours
Pangolins are highly sensitive to captivity. Stress can be fatal. Yet due legal process required the animals to remain at the court for 48 hours while awaiting the procès-verbal de restitution, the official document permitting their transfer.
During this time, Dr. Espoir Tshilong, a local vet in Kolwezi, became their lifeline. From court premises, he administered fluids and monitored their fragile condition. At the same time, Dr. Kelsey Skinner, veterinary advisor for the African Pangolin Working Group in South Africa, guided the care remotely, interpreting symptoms, advising dosages, and tracking progress.
Across 3,000 kilometers, two vets — one in the field in the DRC and one far away in South Africa — held the lives of two pangolins in balance.
Release and Reflection
On August 3rd, with legal paperwork cleared, Conserve Congo coordinated the 6-hour long drive to transfer the pangolins to Mwandikusha Station, adjacent to Kundelungu National Park, in the ICCN-managed Tshangalele Reserve. ICCN rangers met the team on-site, ensuring security and ecological safety.
Sadly, one pangolin, weakened by stress, died shortly before release. The surviving pangolin climbed, slowly but surely, into the forest canopy, free again, where it belongs.
Arresting the Trafficker
The suspected wildlife trafficker who was arrested with the two pangolins, a Congolese National, admitted to being part of a broader trafficking network stretching to Lubumbashi and Zamba. The pangolins were hidden in containers to avoid detection at checkpoints. The trafficker now faces 5 years in prison for the illegal possession and transportation of a fully protected species.
More Than a Rescue
This wasn’t just a wildlife rescue operation, it was a demonstration of what’s possible when civil society, government, and international partners break silos and act as one. It showed that conservation in the DRC is not just reactive, it is increasingly collaborative, professional, and resilient. It reminded us that even in systems weighed down by red tape and resource scarcity, compassion, coordination, and courage can still win the day.
Big smiles of relief as the rangers release the surviving pangolin.
And above all, it proved that when we put our differences aside - national, institutional, professional - lives are saved. Not just animals, but the integrity of the ecosystems they sustain.
Together, we are fighting for our natural heritage.
Wild Tomorrow is proud to support Conserv Congo who we have partnered with for many years in the fight to save endangered wildlife by fighting back against wildlife crime in the DRC - this includes specifically pangolins, critically endangered forest elephants, and chimps - species that are heavily targeted by poaching syndicates and wildlife traffickers. Read more about founder and wildlife warrior, Adams Cassinga in our earlier story, “Adams Cassinga - Congo Basin Wildlife Warrior”.
Adams and his team’s unwavering commitment to fighting the illegal wildlife trade to protect their country’s wildlife and resources is not only brave - it’s essential.This is just one story of many successful busts and undercover investigations led by Conserv Congo this year. We applaud their efforts on the frontlines of wildlife protection in the DRC, and are proud to have awarded Conserv Congo a grant of $20,000 earlier this year to help fund their operations.
NGOs like Conserv Congo operate with very little international support and every donation makes a big difference. We hope you will help and reward the bravery of his team by donating to our Pangolin program.
We salute you, Adams and your team at Conserv Congo. Bravo!