Chinese actor, dancer and singer -- and now WildAid pangolin protector
Wang Yibo is a Chinese actor, dancer and singer. He debuted in 2014 as a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band UNIQ and gained international recognition as Lan Wangji in the drama The Untamed (2019). In 2020, Forbes China ranked him 9th on its Celebrity 100 list. As a WildAid ambassador, he has led the Action Starts the Movement campaign for eco-friendly lifestyles and the Be a #BYOer campaign to reduce ocean plastic, and he is the face of WildAid's pangolin work in China.
Defenders of the Hidden
In July 2024, WildAid, the China Wildlife Conservation Association and Youku premiered Defenders of the Hidden, a two-part docuseries that follows Wang Yibo in search of the Chinese pangolin. Along the way he meets the scientists, forest rangers, community members and educators working to bring the species back.
The Chinese pangolin has declined by about 80% over the past 20 years and has been listed as Critically Endangered since 2014. There are reasons for hope: wild pangolins have now been detected in more than 70 areas across more than 10 provinces in China.
After it aired, the series helped inspire more than one million people across China to pledge on social media to reject pangolin products.
Watch the trailer and both full episodes on WildAid's YouTube channel.
Frequently asked questions
What is Defenders of the Hidden?
A two-part docuseries by WildAid, the China Wildlife Conservation Association and Youku, starring Wang Yibo, about the people working to save the critically endangered Chinese pangolin. It premiered in Beijing in July 2024.
Why are Chinese pangolins endangered?
Hunting for their meat and scales, together with habitat loss, has reduced the Chinese pangolin population by about 80% in 20 years. China gave the species its highest level of protection in 2020.
How can I help pangolins?
Never buy pangolin products, share the facts, and support WildAid so campaigns like Defenders of the Hidden keep reaching new audiences.
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