Pangolins are amazing, bizarre, adorable creatures, but due to the demand for their scales on the illegal market, they're also the most trafficked animal in the world. In order to turn the tide, wildlife veterinarian Elias Mubobo knows the solution rests in the hands of the local community -- many of whom have never seen a pangolin in the wild.

2 00:00:05,150 --> 00:00:08,010 ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 4 00:00:41,921 --> 00:00:45,790 NARRATOR: The pangolin, the only scaled mammal on Earth.

6 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,580 This unique feature is both their protection and their curse.

ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 10 00:01:53,210 --> 00:01:57,040 NARRATOR: Elias Mubobo wanted to become a pilot.

But when his love of planes evolved into a love of animals, he decided to become a vet.

14 00:02:06,940 --> 00:02:09,971 ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 16 00:02:30,145 --> 00:02:31,990 NARRATOR: Gorongosa National Park lies in the heart of central Mozambique.

It's one of the most ecologically diverse regions on Earth.

21 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:51,180 The more than 1,500 square mile park is a biodiversity hotspot where animals, plants, and people interact in a complex web.

25 00:02:59,910 --> 00:03:03,330 Elias grew up near the park, but had never seen one of its most elusive creatures, the pangolin.

28 00:03:13,510 --> 00:03:15,580 ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 30 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:38,270 NARRATOR: Besides being cute, pangolins feed on ants.

Healthy populations help regulate the number of ants in the ecosystem.

Pangolins were once plentiful across much of Africa, but they have become increasingly scarce.

36 00:03:54,660 --> 00:03:56,990 ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 38 00:04:13,750 --> 00:04:18,130 NARRATOR: It's estimated that up to 200,000 pangolins are taken from the wild every year across Africa and Asia.

They're poached for their scales, which are used in traditional medicine.

This very armor that helps protect them from predators like leopards, hyenas, and lions makes them a prime target for poachers.

46 00:04:40,670 --> 00:04:43,115 ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 48 00:04:57,260 --> 00:04:59,600 NARRATOR: That's why Elias spends much of his time here, at Gorongosa's Pangolin Rehabilitation Center.

51 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:09,170 At this unique facility, the only one of its kind in Mozambique, the team cares for animals rescued from the illegal market.

55 00:05:16,670 --> 00:05:17,170 No ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 58 00:05:51,580 --> 00:05:54,280 NARRATOR: The team works tirelessly every day to nurse the pangolins back to health.

61 00:06:01,060 --> 00:06:03,100 ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 63 00:06:30,130 --> 00:06:33,460 NARRATOR: Not that they need much help, Elias and his team just ensure that they get enough food and that their natural instincts remain intact for when they are released back to the wild.

This is crucial for their survival.

ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 70 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,630 NARRATOR: It's estimated that a single pangolin can consume up to 70 million ants every year.

73 00:07:38,370 --> 00:07:42,690 That voracious appetite helps to regulate insect populations and keep the ecosystem in balance.

Their digging also contributes to the cycling of nutrients in the soil and provides shelter that other creatures rely on.

78 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,110 ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 80 00:08:18,046 --> 00:08:20,520 NARRATOR: Elias knows that the communities who live beside these creatures are the key to protecting them.

83 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,340 They are the ones who can alert park authorities when they find a pangolin outside its natural habitat, or identify a person who is illegally trafficking them.

87 00:08:59,750 --> 00:09:02,425 ELIAS MUBOBO: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] 89 00:09:26,490 --> 00:09:30,000 NARRATOR: The effort to win hearts and minds appears to be working.