Just a few days after World Pangolin Day, the Pangolin Conservation & Research Foundation (PCRF) has once again drawn attention to the devastating situation of pangolins in Namibia in an urgent appeal. On Pangolin Day itself, February 15, a Namibian pangolin fell victim to an electric fence - "just one of countless silent deaths that go unnoticed. This pangolin survived the illegal wildlife trade, only to be killed by another human-made threat," said PCRF Director Kelsey Prediger. Since 2018, 570 pangolins have been killed by poaching in Namibia alone (AZ reported). The population was also further decimated by the severe droughts in 2019 and 2024, resulting in an estimated 50% decline in poorly managed pastureland. Pangolins are still the most frequently smuggled mammals on earth, but they are also exposed to another, growing and largely overlooked threat: electrocution. A study in South Africa estimates that for every 11 km of low-lying electric fences, at least one pangolin dies per year. "If these statistics also apply to Namibia, the number of pangolins lost to electric fences is staggering," Prediger said in the statement.