Oh, gee, um …hi. (soft voice) I’m, …well, would you mind very much if I don’t run off to slay dragons today? (avoids eye contact) I hope you still like me.
Megan in Zimbabwe says, “Meet Champ, the baby orphaned pangolin! I took this photo of him about a month ago – his handler Ellen at Tikki Hywood Trust told me yesterday that he’s up to 2.5 kgs. He was orphaned as a little baby because his mom was killed by poachers. These animals are considered royal game in Zimbabwe, but even so, very little is known about them because they are very quiet and just roll into a ball when they are scared.
The nice ladies at Tikki Hywood Trust have also posted a couple of videos on YouTube, including one nice shot of Champ’s insanely long tongue. And one with him playing with a nekkid cat!
OMG I love him!!!
The scales are so lovely up close — the color variation and patterning are wonderful! Glad at least this little guy will be safe and sound.
“very little is known about them because they are very quiet and just roll into a ball when they are scared” – I get this mental image of researchers in labcoats trying to get to know a shy little pangolin by striking up a conversation, notepads all ready, but the pangolin, flustered, just rolls into a ball and refuses to answer any questions.
Hehehehe!!! Love it!
Me too! I’m imagining questions like, “Do you have any hobbies? What’s your favorite sport?” And the pangolin just curls up and waits for the scientists to go away.
What a cute little fellow Champ is. I’m sad about his mom but thankful that he is getting help.
Maybe his hobby is curling up into a ball. And for sport, he races downhill with other pangolins, while curled up into a ball.
That would be a good use of natural talent…
That’s just what I was thinking.
Perhaps they should try buying him a drink first…I mean NO ONE likes the hard hit…that slimy guy in the gold chains asking you what’s your sign? So not sexy
He looks like he’s wearing seashells! And from the description, sounds like an armored version of a hedgehog. Pangolins are neat. And threatened.
PANGOLIN!
WHERE??!!!
Erm . . . behind you?
Quiet, shy, and slow you say? Pangolin is the new sloth at CO.
Can we eradicate all poachers please? They no play nice.
Oh brave Sir Pangolin are you kin to Sir Robin?
You beat me to it! ” Brave Sir Pango who rolled away, he rolled away, brave Sir Pango!”.
I love Champ!! And I have this overwhelming urge to protect him (as well as other creatures great and small) from mean, evil, stinky poachers.
That is all.
I want to announce try outs for my new Poacher’s baseball team.
I want to encourage encourage all poachers to come on out for the spring try outs.
(If I get enough poachers we can all have a few swings ! Batter UP !)
I like the way you think. Allow me to volunteer to be the first at bat
Sign me up! May I bring my own bat? I’ll install some steel reinforcements, and spikes, and probably poison as well.
Oh great! I got a new obsession. http://pigswithcrayons.com/tag/pangolin/ (see the pandolin painting, absolutely over-cute). Exit fluffy hooters, here comes the armoured cutie-pall.
I can see why this guy wouldn’t want to slay dragons. He looks like he might be related to them!
Hold up…did i just find a pic where these cute creatures hang by their tails??!! I think I am in lof
Hey!! That’s my photo! Champ is *famous*! He is just the sweetest thing and all he really wants to do is eat ants. Lisa and Ellen are his two mamas – really hardworking and caring ladies.
Here is the redonk tongue action:
And here is a longer video of him:
Holy carp, I didn’t realize how tiny he is!!! Awww, shweet li’l feller!
Megan, that photo is STUNNING. Very nicely done!
Egads! That tongue! O_o
omg. i want him even more.
Is it too early to start making my Santa list??
Dear Santa….i have been very good this year, please bring me a pangolin.
He walks like a tiny windup dinosaur!
I was thinking the same thing–he doesn’t look real! He’s totally adorable.
I’ll just leave this here because I’d never heard of these guys!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangolin
Hey, I loved pangolins before they were cool!
Unpossible! Pangolins were always cool!
Aww, bless his wee little self and bless his lovely hooman rescuers. A bebbeh pangolin drinking from a bottle! Now I have truly seen it all.
I’d like about 2 minutes alone with the poachers, the sick, evil ba**ards!
Give me 15 minutes with these Sweet Old Boys and I’ll lock ‘em in a room with a 500 pound GORILLA !!!
i like the scales. fishes move over.
ehn paWHAW
Ain’t no animal here. Whatcha got, hYAH, is an ARTICHOKE with
googly eyes pasted on. See below.
http://www.manorhg.com/store/images/MP_ArtichokePlatter_1115.jpg
GAH
that second word was SUPPOSED TO BE “pShaw” NOT “paWHAW”
*eye roll*
SO… my name is Ellen and I’m looking around me and it seems this lil guy has been delayed in the mail. Pls bring him to me. (the nekkid cat can come to if he likes.)
Aww!! How is he not named Artichoke?
1) Poachers should be shot.
2) There’s certain cultures that would kill every last endangered species if they’re led to believe animal tusks, testicles or spleens will grat them sexual powers or cleanse their spirit. Something has to change on the demand side.
I still like my idea better , only this time make it a bunch of angry BABOONS !
That should be a warning to any other would be poachers ! The Baboons should make short work of these Poachers !!!!!
I highly recommend the picture book Roly Poly Pangolin by Anna Dewdney.
ceejoe, you around?
This proves that anteaters CAN mate with artichokes!
Look at this little guy! He doesn’t slay dragons, they simply look at him and their head’s explode from the adorableness.