It was a heartbreaking sight. A neat, ball of chainmail - no larger than a bicycle helmet - was unfurled, and presented to the policemen at Taveta Police Sation. At first glance, it looked like it might be sleeping, but sadly a combination of stress and suffocation led to the demise of this harmless creature.

It was a pangolin. Of the eight pangolin species across the globe, every single one is threatened with extinction. They are persecuted for the scales that cover their skin. Their scales are a remarkable adaptation, made of completely unremarkable keratin, the same as our fingernails. Tragically, their financial value for the perceived value of their scales places them all at risk.

Their scales protect them from natural predators, but not the unnatural ones. That’s where our rangers and intelligence agents enter the picture, and how these suspects were arrested. Embedded in every community in the Amboseli ecosystem, there is rarely anything that happens without us knowing. The two men that killed this pangolin were put behind bars and handed considerable fines.

In the last year, our intelligence networks helped arrest five suspects in three cases involving pangolins. Two for this dead pangolin, one for possession of pangolin scales, and two for possession of a live pangolin which was handed to KWS, treated, and then released in a secret location, far from human settlement.

Pangolins endure a silent crisis. Today on World Pangolin Day, we want to draw attention to their plight, as we continue to do our bit to ensure they do not go extinct. Thank you for your support of our efforts.