The pangolin is a small, scaly mammal that not many people have heard of. It is under-researched, underappreciated, and under attack. It is possible that the pangolin is the most trafficked mammal in the world (Sutter, John D for Change the List, cnn.com). This is not an attribute this animal desires or deserves.

The pangolin is pretty adorable. If you find yourself fond of armadillos then you could probably extend the same feelings for these guys (and up until recently, they were believed to be related!) Not much is known about pangolins as they are shy creatures and mostly nocturnal (in most species). They desperately need funding to study them in the wild as the only known pangolins in captivity are at the San Diego Zoo (where one passed away from digestive problems) or in rehabilitation centers where they can die from digestive problems or stress and often times the reason as to why a seemingly healthy pangolin dies goes unanswered. It could even be possible that this animal is a keystone species, but until further research is funded, one can not be sure. Although history has shown that often times the extinction of one species can lead to a chain reaction of negative events that affect numerous other species of plants and animals. An event that often has dire consequences ecologically and that we now try and prevent rather than correct.

The pangolin is quickly losing ground in places like Asia due to deforestation and mostly illegal poaching (two species are currently on the endangered list). The pangolins are taken for their meat (which is considered a delicacy) and their blood, scales and other parts are often used in traditonal medicines that unfortunately are still taken seriously today as effective remiedies to various ailments. Much like the rhino, this animal is being persecuted for ineffectual treatments at rates that are unsustainable. People hunt them to just support their families, furthering the reach of poachers and encouraging the breaking of laws. There is also a lack of protection and enforcement of the laws as well as a myriad of socioeconomic problems associated with hunting pangolins. These issues have led the pangolin to be top of the trafficked animal list.

The Walt Disney Company has a long and respected history not only in the film and animation realm but but also in conservation. We see this in programs such as the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, NatureRocks, Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers and Disney Friends for Change.The Walt Disney Company provides conservation grant opportunities for game changing individuals and organizations as well as internship, job and career opportunites within its own parks for budding wildlife researchers, conservationists and biologists, veterinarians and wildlife rehabilitators and so much more. DisneyNature used cutting edge fiming technology to take us to places in the wild and show us wildlife as we have never seen them, all the while planting trees for each ticket sold when the films were released. The Walt Disney Company does so much for conservation through all the programs I have mentioned and others concerning the environment (which is just as important as individual animals themselves) and others I did not mention.  But I like to think of Disney in a different way. When I think of Disney, I think of connections. The Walt Disney Company connects people. It connects people to animation and film, to animals and nature, and to each other and the world.

In the Walt Disney Company's latest animated film, Frozen, Disney's talented animators enchanted us with a personable horse belonging to Prince Hans and with Sven, a beloved reindeer. The Walt Disney Company endeared us to such characters as Pascal and Maximus from Tangled, to Ray and Louis from The Princess and the Frog, with Marlin and Dory (and pretty much all the characters) from Finding Nemo, Mushu and Cri Kee from Mulan, Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa of The Lion King, Abu from Aladdin, Tod and Copper from The Fox and the Hound, Gus and Jaq from Cinderella, and the main mouse himself: Mickey. The Walt Disney company has a gift in telling stories and connecting us to these characters. Their gifts are so great we are even connected to inanimate objects, whether come to life like Olaf the snowman from Frozen or Carpet from Aladdin, or ever fixed like Evangeline, the star in The Princess and the Frog. We laugh and cry with them and we care about their fates and futures. I want the Walt Disney Company to do the same for the pangolin. The Disney name reaches and resonates with millions of people. These people can change the fate of the pangolin.

With one film, Disney can reach the pangolin and pluck it out of obscurity. This will encourage hopefully millions to research the pangolin which in turn will cast enough ripples to fund much needed research on the animal in the wild, aid pangolins rescued from poachers in rehabilitation facilities, educate locals on the importance of conservation and individual species, urge enforcement and protection in the countries where the pangolin is most persecuted and pull this animal off the endangered species list. With one film, jobs can be created, minds can be expanded, people can be connected and animals can be saved.

I could go on and on with ideas for conservation efforts for the pangolin that the Walt Disney Company could be a part of. But I know one really effective way to help the pangolin is just to let people know it exists. This is something the Walt Disney Company can do.

Thank you for your time. If you are interested knowing more and helping pangolins please do the following:

Google Them! Wikipedia will get you the basics on the what the heck is a pangolin?

Read Change the List: The Most Trafficked Animal You've Never Heard of by John D. Sutter on CNN.com (Whom I credit for the majority of the information on this page about the pangolin).

Read 7 ways to help save the pangolin, an awesome creature trafficked by the ton by John D. Sutter at CNN.com for other ideas to help the pangolin.

Share what you find with friends, family, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc and get the word out about the pangolin!

Sign and Share my petition! (Please?)

Sincerely,

Concerned Pangolin Fan

B.S. in Biology & Certificate in Wildlife Management and Ecology (Recently), Long Time Disney Lover (Undisputed). and future wildlife rehabilitator (Hopefully)

Thanks to John D. Sutter and CNN.com for information regarding the plight of the pangolin (and the graphic for the photo option on this petition) and to WaltDisney.com for information on their conservation efforts and films, to the people who sign and share the petition and of course a very special thank you to the Walt Disney Company for their consideration of this petition!