This young male in Zambia came across a very rare pangolin – and couldn’t quite make out if it was threat – or food. Fortunately the pangolin wears a built in suit of armour and the leopard eventually got bored and moved on.
Covered in tough, overlapping scales made of keratin (the same material as human fingernails), pangolins are nature’s best-protected mammals. When threatened, they curl into a tight ball, making it nearly impossible for predators to harm them. Sadly, they are also the most trafficked mammals in the world, making sightings like this incredibly rare and special. In Zambia, as in other parts of Africa, efforts are ongoing to protect these unique creatures and their habitats.
