White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tripiscus)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 242536228

Upscaling Pangolin Research and Conservation through Community Ranger-led Biomonitoring: Mapping Priority Habitats and Threats in the Deng-Deng National Park.

This project's objectives are designed to scale up pangolin conservation in the DDNP, with its conservation impact felt above the protected area level in the DDNP. Here, we intend to leverage previous project outcomes and opportunities to widen the scope and create more significance for the people and the species. Progressing from the previous phase of the project, this project phase will; Revitalize the Village Forest Management Committee (VFMC) in Deng-Deng village as a platform to assemble all locals for biodiversity talks. Provide refresher training course to 06 previously recruited community rangers, and recruit 06 other locals to help simultaneously conduct biomonitoring in the savanna and forest zone of the park; Also, the project is designed to conduct field-based surveys along line transects with community rangers to map pangolin habitats used, habitats threatened and assess pangolin population distribution in the forest Vs savanna habitats. In addition, the project plans to identify and clamp down on key threats to pangolins, including poaching activities (trapping devices, hunters' houses, transport routes) illegal logging, farmland expansion, and mining; and to co-develop a 10-year conservation action plan (2025 to 2035) with MINFOF for pangolin protection, incorporating habitat restoration, anti-poaching measures, and community engagement.