In Vietnam, we released our ‘Pangolins Are Still Endangered’ campaign to highlight the alarming rate of poaching and consumption of pangolins. In this satirical video, a pangolin reporter provides an end-of-year news wrap-up revealing that while we saw many global changes in 2020, the situation remains unchanged and dire for pangolins. To complement the PSA, popular Vietnamese choreographer Quang Dang launched his new dance video to encourage the public to join in and protect pangolins. Distributed throughout taxis and on screens in over 2,600 buildings and shopping malls, as well as on social media, the campaign reached over 29 million people. 

In Nigeria, we have been working hard to produce new campaign messages on pangolins and bushmeat. We are thrilled to report that there are currently five pangolin pups being raised at our partner rescue facility, St. Marks Animal Hospital and Shelter after being rescued from a market. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest number being raised at once anywhere in the world. Hand feeding and rearing five is “quite challenging” according to Dr. Mark Ofua, but he enjoys the experience and creating a bond with the babies after their abusive situation. The pups are expected to be released in their natural environment in the next two to four months.

We launched the first ad in a series produced in partnership with China’s Ministry of Tourism World Tourism Alliance and China Wildlife Conservation Association to educate Chinese travelers about threats to elephants and strengthen their awareness on laws, regulations, and policies regarding bringing [illegal] ivory into China. In it, actress Yang Zi calls on those traveling with families to be positive role models for their children. We placed over 25,600 ads in 18 cities just ahead of China’s busy labor week holiday travel period. To date, the campaign has reached over 210 million travelers.

Last month, we launched a new campaign with superstar Wang Yibo to decrease consumption of single-use plastics by encouraging consumers to adopt a ‘bring your own’ reusable mindset when it comes to water bottles, cutlery, and shopping bags at work and while running errands. The campaign aims to inspire action with simple steps everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint through daily lifestyle choices. In its first week, the campaign earned 14 features on state and news media and over 229 million views and 3.6 million discussions/mentions across social media platforms.

The Yucatán Peninsula houses many rich and productive ecosystems, from coastal lagoons to mangrove forests to coral reefs. Last winter, Impact Blue, WildAid Marine, and the Regional Federation of Fishing Cooperatives in Yucatán came together to develop an effective, low-cost Marine Protection System (MPS) Plan to strengthen the enforcement of fisheries regulations in Scorpion Reef National Park (SRNP). Last month, the first interinstitutional patrols of SRNP were completed, and patrolling agencies intercepted, and inspected a number of vessels, some of which were found to be violating area regulations. These joint patrols mark a significant step towards improving the protection of Scorpion Reef National Park and sustainable management of local fisheries resources.