Our founder has been studying Sunda pangolins since 2011, when she began her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Her passion for pangolin conservation led her to pursue her doctoral research with Cardiff University and the Danau Girang Field Centre, where she conducted the most extensive study on Sunda pangolins, focusing on their movement ecology and behaviour in highly fragmented landscapes. Through field surveys, camera trapping, radio telemetry, and ecological modeling, Elisa gains insights into the challenges faced by pangolins in fragmented habitats. Her research aims to shed light on their long-term survival prospects. Elisa has published a few papers and continues to contribute to the scientific understanding of Sunda pangolins.

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Our next research endeavour involves delving deeper into the social science aspect of pangolin conservation. This will entail working closely with indigenous people and local communities (IPLCs) to gather their traditional knowledge about pangolins and their cultural significance, specifically focusing on ethnozoology - studying human and wildlife relationships. Through this research, we aim to better understand how to mitigate conflict between pangolins and people. Furthermore, we are also interested in exploring consumer behaviour and developing a behaviour change programme to combat poaching and illegal wildlife trade.

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In addition to our social science work, we are also dedicated to improving the success of pangolin conservation translocations. This involves translocating rescued or confiscated pangolins from one area to another for conservation purposes and exploring ways to enhance the success of pangolin translocations by improving their pre-release acclimatisation, identifying appropriate release sites, and monitoring their post-release survival. We strongly believe that protecting these animals requires carefully collecting and analysing evidence-based information, which can inform conservation strategies and promote effective action towards preserving the Sunda pangolin.