How to work in Pangolin conservation with Kelsey Prediger
Kelsey Prediger is a passionate wildlife biologist who works in Namibia to conserve Pangolins. Originally from Michigan, USA, Kelsey followed her passion to make a meaningful impact for wildlife conservation with an unexpected career pathway shifting from veterinary medicine to wildlife management.
She moved halfway around the world and her adventures led her to jump headfirst into Pangolin conservation. She is now the Founder and Executive Director of the Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation, a non-profit she created to raise awareness and deliver grassroots conservation outcomes for Pangolins in Africa.
In this candid conversation, Kelsey shares her insights, challenges and advice for aspiring conservationists.
Kelsey’s journey: from carnivores to ‘walking artichokes’ (Pangolins)
Kelsey’s journey into conservation began with a childhood passion for nature and wildlife. Growing up on a lake, she spent her days immersed in the wonders of the natural world, fostering a deep connection to animals. Initially aspiring to become a wildlife veterinarian specialising in big cats, Kelsey embarked on her academic journey at Michigan State University.
However, Kelsey had a strong desire to make a broader impact on conservation and felt there were limitations to traditional veterinary medicine for wildlife conservation. This led her to internships and volunteer opportunities with wildlife organisations around the world, culminating in a transformative experience with the IUCN SSC Tiger and Snow Leopard Steering Committee.
Kelsey shares her experience: “That internship was amazing and transformed my perspective on what my future career could look like. I saw it was possible to contribute to the bigger picture of conservation at a species level.”
Despite facing setbacks and uncertainties in the hunt for jobs in conservation, Kelsey’s resilience and determination propelled her forward. After college, she tried to find work, but with no luck, took a job in a pharmaceutical lab. She reflects on her past:
“I made the money I needed to buy what mattered to me: I saved up to travel and accept unpaid work in wildlife conservation!”
With her hard-earned money, Kelsey interned at a big cat sanctuary, a forest bird rehabilitation centre in Hawaii and various zoos around the USA. However, her dream was always to work in Africa and make a difference for threatened species conservation in the field. Kelsey searched for opportunities and eventually found a relief management position at a Cheetah rehabilitation centre in Namibia.
“I came for 3 months to be the Relief Manager, and when the previous managers decided to move elsewhere, I was offered their job. That was back in 2016.”
Whilst working with Cheetahs in Namibia, Kelsey embraced each opportunity, always seeking ways to contribute to conservation at a larger scale. Her goal was to do her master’s abroad with the Cheetah rehabilitation centre.
However, when the management and direction of the centre changed dramatically, she realised it no longer aligned with her goals. She decided to travel Namibia through the connections she’d made, looking for ways to contribute towards conservation and spend a few years completing her master’s.
Kelsey followed the open doors, built her experience, and found herself with an opportunity to launch a project and conduct her MSc studies on the most-trafficked mammals on the planet since 2014: Pangolins.
Kelsey enthusiastically expressed: “I found the MSc opportunity and then proposed the Pangolin project to the Uni… it blew my mind to discover there were these mysterious mammals in desperate need of help with very few people doing anything about it!”
Recognising the urgent need to protect these enigmatic creatures, Kelsey embarked on a Research-based Master’s program at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, focusing on wild Pangolins’ behaviour and habitat preferences in order to make informed decisions for conservation management, especially for improving survival of live confiscated Pangolins.
However, COVID-19 struck as she had started the program, she lost her job and re-assessed her options. She reflects: “I lost my job and said, you know what, I’m just going to go for it! I started my own NGO, raised my own funding. And here we are today, fast forward, four years later, still going.”
Driven by a desire to effect meaningful change, Kelsey founded the Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation (PCRF). She also completed her master’s research which has been used to inform conservation policy in Namibia and other countries. She laughs and remarks, “That’s a long story short of how I ended up in Pangolin conservation in Namibia doing what I do!”
Breaking ground for Pangolin conservation
Kelsey founded PCRF in 2020 with the main focus of ensuring a sustainable future for Pangolins. After entering the field and finding it to be extremely exclusive to newcomers, she thought this would offer a platform to foster inclusivity and develop Pangolin Champions in Africa.
Although based in Namibia, the non-profit spans southern Africa partnering with other conservation organisations in Angola, Botswana and Tanzania. The everyday role of the PCRF has several key focuses: Pangolin research, community empowerment, building local capacity and raising awareness for Pangolins.
The primary work of the PCRF is conducting research to understand population trends, basic biology, and key threats to Pangolins. This baseline ecological data is then used to inform conservation management planning for Pangolins and contribute to guidelines and policies to better protect them. Kelsey shares:
“We still need to understand the very basics to better conserve Pangolins!”
Secondly, PCRF empowers local communities to generate an income from Pangolin conservation rather than hunting or selling them. The PCRF aims to empower local stewardship of Pangolin conservation and overall biodiversity and build a network of Pangolin experts. This is done through the employment of local Pangolin Guardians” or community rangers to protect not only the Pangolins, but biodiversity of the area. Kelsey describes the organisation’s work:
“This project works with the Indigenous San people – one of the most marginalised groups of people on this planet – who have a deep-rooted connection with nature. It feels great to provide them with job opportunities to protect the Pangolins.”
Thirdly, PCRF partners with local government and grassroots organisations who already have boots on the ground to build capacity for Pangolin conservation. Through these partnerships, PCRF shares their expertise and lessons learned in Pangolin conservation as a launchpad for action in places where there is little to no action.
Raising awareness for these mysterious mammals is also a crucial component of Pangolin conservation work. Despite being the most trafficked mammal on the planet, Pangolins remain relatively unknown to the public.
At a local level, Kelsey and the PCRF Guardians log sightings, offer training and foster local stewardship of Pangolins. And through strategic outreach efforts online, Kelsey advocates for Pangolin conservation on the international stage: “We cannot conserve what we don’t know about!”
Careers advice for aspiring conservationists
Kelsey reflects on her experiences as a career conservationist and share her valuable journey with some invaluable lessons for aspiring conservationists:
Follow your passion
Embrace your love for nature and wildlife, and let it guide your career choices. For Kelsey, conservation is more than just a career – it’s a calling and also a privilege to lend your voice to protecting wildlife.
Embrace opportunities
We are also reminded to “follow the open doors”! Be open to diverse experiences and seize every opportunity to learn and grow. Don’t fight the flow, you can make leaps and bounds towards progress when you take a hint from the universe in accepting what comes your way in line with your morals and passions.
Adaptability is key
Kelsey’s journey demonstrates the importance of following your passion and embracing the unexpected twists and turns that come with it. Expect setbacks and uncertainties, but remain adaptable and resilient in the face of challenges.
Build networks and collaborate
Collaborate with like-minded individuals and organisations, leveraging collective efforts for greater impact. Being inclusive in conservation is key to sharing the work and the outcomes!
Advocate and raise awareness
Remember the power behind your voice, your actions and your choices. Use your voice to advocate for conservation causes, and prioritise raising awareness to mobilise support.
Supporting Pangolin conservation: Taking action
Want to hear more from Kelsey? You can follow her adventures on Instagram @conservation.kelsey or find out more about Pangolin conservation and the Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation on their website, Facebook, X, Instagram, or their LinkTree.
If you are looking to support Pangolin conservation, there are many avenues to get involved: sharing Pangolin conservation content online and donating to or volunteering with organisations like PCRF are just some.
And, if your goal is to work in Pangolin conservation, the PCRF also offers internship opportunities for committed conservationists.
Author Profile | Susie Stockwell
Susie with a Purple-crowned Lorikeet, during work as a bird bander.
Susie Stockwell (she/her) is a field ecologist, science communicator and creator of the blog and podcast, #itsawildlife, a platform to support people on their journey to work their dream job in wildlife science or conservation. Based on beautiful Menang country on the south coast of Western Australia, Susie is passionate about finding novel solutions for wildlife conservation and opening up the space to promote engagement and involvement for everyone interested in pursuing this career.