Ravaged by civil war, how a national park was restored in Mozambique | Environment

Gorongosa, Mozambique – In Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique, veterinarian Mercia Angela cradles a baby pangolin in her arms. Perhaps aware that it is safe, it reaches out and gently pulls her hair.

“Our special unit of rangers who investigate people trying to sell pangolins rescued this one from a trafficker, and now we’re on a journey to rehabilitate it, preparing it for its eventual release back into the wild,” she said about the pangopup.

Pangolins are a keystone species, meaning they play a critical role in shaping their habitats and altering ecosystems. But they…