Protecting Pangolins
The South African Legal Framework
Image courtasy of the Netflix documentary Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey - official partners of this project.
About this project
Pangolins are among the world’s most trafficked wild mammals, and their existence for future generations in South Africa is seriously under threat. This educational project seeks to support magistrates, judges and prosecutors to confidently navigate the complicated network of established laws that are specifically designed to protect threatened species - such as the pangolin. Together with people working at the frontline of pangolin conservation, the long-term mission of this project is to change the fate of the pangolin and help make South African prosecution of wildlife crime an exemplary model for the national protection of endangered species worldwide.
The project consists of two freely downloadable resources:
A FILM that walks viewers through the laws, including CITES, NEMBA, the ToPS Regulations, the Animals Protection Act and anti-money-laundering legislation.
An accompanying GUIDE that turns the information in the film into a practical reference for courtrooms and classrooms. It includes checklists, penalty tables, a training case study, and much more.
Access these resources by using the buttons provided below.
Disclaimer: These resources are not to be regarded as legal advice and does not replace the authoritative text of the relevant legislation, regulations or case law. Note also that this provides a starting point - not a definitive list of legislation. The strategic approach using a variety of mechanisms must be identified on a case-by-case basis.
All content and legal analysis in this project are current through October 2026.
