Protect the Pangolins. Protect Their Homes.
Dear Friends,On 21 August 2026, fire broke out in the peat forest where we work in Riau, home to the critically endangered Sunda Pangolin (Manis javanica) and many other threatened species.Our field team and partners, together with local villagers, government and law-enforcement authorities, worked around the clock to contain it. Satellite monitoring through NASA FIRMS caught the first hotspots, and within hours we had escalated to the local disaster mitigation agency, local fire brigades, and the police. By the next morning our team was on the ground, and after days of suppression, watering, and cooling, the fire was extinguished.A small number of hectares burned. But a much larger area of forest was saved.The experience was a stark reminder: saving the pangolins is not enough. We must also protect the forest they call home. This peatland's dense undergrowth, root systems, and decaying logs are exactly what pangolins depend on for nesting and burrowing, and what sustains the ant and termite populations they feed on. When fire takes that away, even animals that survive can be pushed toward forest edges near human settlements, where they are far more exposed to poaching.We are strengthening our forest patrol, early detection, and firefighting capability. We need your help.Every contribution, large or small, helps put people, equipment, and water on the ground before a small fire becomes a disaster.Thank you for standing with our rangers, our communities, and the wildlife that cannot protect their forest alone.
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