The Remarkable Journey of Saruni: Nyekweri's First Tagged Giant Ground Pangolin
In late 2022, a significant milestone was marked in the Nyekweri ecosystem- Saruni, a male sub-adult Giant Ground Pangolin, became the first of his kind to be tagged in the area. Fitted with both a VHF and a satellite tag, Saruni represented a groundbreaking step forward in pangolin research and conservation.
He taught us a lot: Over 3 months his home range was over the land of 52 landowners. We managed to keep tags on him and monitor him for 9-months, tracking his movement over a 24.8 km² area.
However, not long after his tagging, the satellite tag detached in early January 2023, leaving only the VHF tag, which continued transmitting until mid-February. In a swift response, the team reattached a new VHF tag in early March, but unfortunately, this one also lasted only about a month.
Photo credit Will Burrard Lucas
From that point on, Saruni roamed the forest without any active tracking devices. The only feature that could help identify him on camera traps was a single bolt still attached to one of his scales on the right side - his silent badge of identity.
In the months that followed, Saruni was spotted several times on camera traps. The last confirmed footage came in late November 2023, captured in a completely different area from where he was initially tagged. After that, he vanished from view.
2022
2023
But the story didn’t end there.
Fast forward to early April 2025 - over a year and four months later - hope was reignited. A camera trap, deep in the forest, captured unmistakable footage: it was Saruni. That same bolt still clung to his scale, confirming his identity beyond doubt.
The monitoring team was elated. After such a long absence, seeing Saruni alive and well was nothing short of extraordinary. His reappearance marked not only the return of a trailblazer but also a testament to the power of persistence and dedication in wildlife conservation.
YOU help to protect precious forest for remarkable animals like Saruni. Just £40 protects one acre of Giant Pangolin habitat for a year, supporting local communities too.
2025