Hi there everyone!

I would like to share a special moment with all of you...

In life, we have many "firsts". The first small steps you take on your own two feet. The first word you speak. I remember my first day of school like it was yesterday. None of us will forget our awkward first kiss. A first safari experience is usually an unexplainable, unforgettable experience. And so, the list goes on. These special moments make us who we are today.

I recently experienced a first. A sighting which I thought would never come. Those are the best kind!

I'll never forget the first time I saw my first animals like elephant, leopard, cheetah, etc. Each memory uniquely special. There is however an animal all rangers want to see. An animal often classified in the same category as unicorns, mermaids and big foot! Folks... it's a pangolin!

What is a pangolin you ask? I would describe it as a scaly anteater, a burrowing animal which feeds on ants and termites. An animal on every nature-fanatic's bucket list!

So, let me tell you the story... just after the sun had set and my guests and I finished our "sundowners", we heard Keegan on the radio. He said "There is a kwari on railway road". It took a moment for my brain to process what "kwari" was. This is the local word for pangolin. My tracker, Candy, lit up like a shooting star and said "GO!". He knew exactly what this animal means to me. We were on that same road.

We immediately made our way and I could feel my heart pounding... praying that it would stick around. When I got there, I saw my husband, Conrad (Earth Lodge ranger) and his guests watching over the ever-elusive animal. Next to him was my long-term friend Keegan (Bush Lodge ranger). I felt overwhelmed. My eyes gazed upon the prehistoric animal I had been dying to see for so many years.

It was extremely relaxed and gave us a good chance to admire its strange beauty. I couldn't believe my eyes!

All guides and trackers started celebrating as our guests watched in amazement how happy we were. It was an epic moment. This animal had no idea how much excitement it had caused.

This was not just a pangolin sighting, it was a celebration of nature and how unpredictable she can be. It unified us as rangers, trackers and guests. It created so much excitement and happiness for everyone involved.

This was the day of my first pangolin. 23/07/2017!

In honour of the pangolin, I would like to give you 5 interesting facts about this special animal:

1. They have extremely long and sticky tongues which are used to scoop up hundreds of ants and termites. Their tongues can be longer than their bodies!!!
2. They roll up into a ball when threatened and are protected by their razor-sharp scales. Sometimes lions don't even know what to do with them!
3. These nocturnal animals can close their ears and nostrils when burrowing to prevent insects from entering them!
4. They have no teeth! They have plates in their stomach which help to grind up their food.
5. Last but most certainly not least, the pangolin is the most trafficked animal in the world and is more endangered than rhinos. They get poached for their scales which are used medicinally in South Asia.

It is important that we create awareness for these animals to ensure that many more people can enjoy a sighting of these magnificent creatures like we did!