“Defenders of the Hidden” starring superstar Wang Yibo calls on the public to protect pangolins

Last week in Beijing, WildAid, China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA), and Youku premiered the documentary series “Defenders of the Hidden”, which showcases efforts across China to conserve pangolins. The two-part docuseries is a firsthand look at the threats to pangolins, along with the rescue and protection work from both Chinese officials and civilians.

“Defenders of the Hidden” follows actor and WildAid ambassador Wang Yibo’s journey in search of the Chinese pangolin. Through the real-life stories from scientists, forest rangers, community residents, conservation organizations, and science education workers he meets along the way, the audience learns of the efforts, challenges, and achievements of these ordinary heroes seeking to save the Chinese pangolin. With this docuseries, WildAid and CWCA hope to increase public awareness and understanding of pangolin conservation as well as create an emotional connection to the species, ultimately leading to a brighter future for Chinese pangolins.

The Chinese pangolin was once widely found in the southern region of the Yangtze River, but due to excessive hunting and habitat destruction, the population has decreased by 80% over the past 20 years and in 2014 was listed as “critically endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Although the species’ situation is currently grave, there is still hope for recovery. Recent data shows that wild pangolins have been detected in more than 70 areas in over 10 provinces across China, indicating that their wild populations are recovering and growing. This has inspired many top-down conservation actions, mostly on a national level. In August 2018, China stopped the commercial import of pangolins and their products and increased the crackdown on crimes that hurt wild animal populations such as pangolins. For example, in June 2020, pangolins were reclassified from second-class protected wild animals to first-class, which includes stronger punishments for violations. That same year, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration Pangolin Conservation and Research Center was established in Guangdong, further strengthening research on pangolin rescue, breeding, and preparation needed to be released into the wild. Field population studies, habitat surveys, and monitoring of pangolins have been carried out in the various regions that pangolins used to call home.

In the field, the first sighting of Chinese pangolins in the wild was captured in 2018, in Guangdong Province. In 2020, the first civilian Chinese pangolin protection special patrol team was established. Throughout this time, domestic and foreign NGOs, including WildAid, have advised on policy for increased protections and have been working to educate the public for many years, calling on people to refuse illegal activities such as trading, smuggling, and excessive consumption of pangolins and their products.

The “Defenders of the Hidden” premiere event welcomed 500 guests in person and reached an additional 5.1 million through livestreaming.

Speaking at the premiere, CWCA Deputy Secretary General Si Ping stated that, “In order to promote the recovery and growth of pangolin populations and strengthen the protection of pangolins and their habitats, many regions across China have carried out surveys and have monitored wild pangolin populations and their habitats in recent years, strengthened field patrols, prevented poaching, continuously improved and restored the pangolin living environment, strengthened research on artificial breeding and the release of pangolins into the wild, increased publicity on pangolin protection, and severely cracked down on illegal trading, smuggling, and consumption of pangolins and their products.”

WildAid President John Baker also took the stage stating, “ Pangolins are an important species that affect the structure, function, and health of forest ecosystems. However, they are also one of the main targets of illegal wildlife trade, and all eight species of pangolins around the world are facing great threats. For many years, WildAid has continued to carry out public awareness campaigns to reduce illegal trade in countries with pangolin populations, such as China, Vietnam, and Cameroon. However, due to the relatively limited number of images and written stories about pangolins, the public has not yet formed a comprehensive understanding of pangolin protection. Therefore, we filmed “Defenders of the Hidden” to record the efforts made by the Chinese government and the public in recent years to protect pangolins to maintain public attention and support for pangolin conservation, enhance public confidence in the future of pangolins, and motivate all parties involved in conservation work to continue the fight. WildAid will continue to promote international cooperation and contribute to protecting and rescuing pangolins and restoring their habitats, as well as combating cross-border illegal wildlife trade.”

As key figures in “Defenders of the Hidden”, Wang Yibo, Sun Song, a doctoral student jointly trained by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration Pangolin Conservation Research Center and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Li Cheng, Director of the Xizijiang Ecological Conservation Center, shared their experiences and feelings from filming the documentary at the premiere. Wang Yibo recalled, “Although the scales of pangolins look very hard, when I touch them with my hand I can feel the temperature underneath. I realized that pangolins are actually very fragile and need more protection. During this process, I met many people who work hard to protect pangolins. On the one hand, I experienced the hard work they do, and on the other hand, I realized that protecting pangolins requires not only their attention but everyone’s participation by refusing to consume pangolin products and reporting illegal trade of pangolins.” They each ended with their remarks by calling on the public to pay attention to and participate in the pangolin protection to inspire hope for the recovery of the Chinese pangolin population.

Yibo and several pangolin conservation workers received the “Pangolin Defenders” commemorative medal presented by WildAid, CWCA, and Youku.

“Defenders of the Hidden” is divided into two episodes, titled “The Pursuit of Hope” and “Lighting Up Hope”, each of which showcases the true stories of pangolin conservation workers. “Defenders of the Hidden” will be launched on the Youku Documentary Channel in China and globally on YouTube on August 5th and August 12th.