Wild Life Drawing Online: Pangolins

Ah, the pangolin. One of the most unique and characterful animals on earth. The only mammal to be covered with scales, which it uses like a suit of armour. Long sticky tongues like anteaters, to devour ants and termites by the thousands. If you're anything like us, thinking about these sweet critters is a bittersweet thing- it's hard to think of a more lovely yet more persecuted animal. While the situation for these darlings is not looking good, there are some truly incredible people dedicated to turning around the fate of the pangolin, one of them being our guest for this class. 

 We are honoured to be joined by Alexis Kriel, who is the co-chair of the African Pangolin Working Group. Alexis works at the newly built -new favourite word alert- Pangolarium. This purpose-built facility was set up in 2025, in the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve in South Africa. The team there are working on one of the most vital conservation causes of our age; to retrieve pangolins from the vicious illegal wildlife trade and rehabilitate them. As we’re sure you’re aware, this is no mean feat- pangolins are the most trafficked animals on earth. This is largely fuelled by their highly prized status in traditional medicine, both in Africa and Asia. Since Asian species have been decimated by this trade, African species are increasingly targeted for international trade, with their scales exported to China and Vietnam to be ground up and used in traditional medicine cures. Conservationists believe that without urgent global action, all eight species of pangolin are at risk of extinction.

Sobering stuff to say the least, but rest assured, while we will spend some time discussing these issues, the main focus of our class will be Kulu – a true success story in the world of pangolin rescue, and star of a new (and very inspiring) Netflix documentary.

The class will be led by artist Jennie Webber, whose friendly and inclusive approach to teaching will suit all, from absolute beginners to seasoned pros. The class will be relaxed and informal, and there will be plenty of time for questions. We will be drawing from some high-quality reference images provided by APWG while we chat with Alexis, who will tune in all the way from the centre in South Africa. We will record the session and send it out to all ticket holders afterwards, so you can rewatch/ catch up as you please. 

50% of profits will be donated to The Pangolarium.