Electric fences that kill and the Maasai trying to save Kenya’s last giant pangolins
Naserian, a giant ground pangolin, lived for about two years in Kenya’s last remaining stronghold for this animal, Nyekweri Forest. When researchers from The Pangolin Project began tracking her in 2025, they observed her threading her way through a landscape where forests, farms and fences increasingly intersected. Each night, she emerged from the darkness of […]
Electric fences pose a deadly threat to Kenya's last remaining giant ground pangolins, according to researchers. Naserian, a giant ground pangolin that lived in Nyekweri Forest, was tragically killed by an electrocuted fence in 2025. This incident highlights the pressing danger these fences pose to the already endangered species.
With fewer than 30 giant ground pangolins believed to remain in Kenya, each death has significant consequences for the species' survival. The pangolins' numbers have been decreasing across their fragmented range in Western and Central Africa, and Kenya's isolated population in Nyekweri Forest faces an increasingly hostile environment due to the convergence of forests, farms, and fences.
Researchers from The Pangolin Project have been tracking Naserian since 2025, observing her navigate the complex landscape where the forest meets farmland. The pangolin's death serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to protect this species from the destructive impact of human-made infrastructure.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
