Pangolins have been on the planet for 80 million years. They survived a mass extinction, 66 million years ago, when an asteroid collided with Earth, wiping out 75% of earth’s animals, including non-bird dinosaurs. Now, a pangolin is poached every five minutes, making them the most poached mammal on earth, threatened with extinction at the hands of man, and the title of 'the most poached mammal on the planet'.

The curated collection of mainly pangolin-themed artworks and sculptures on this auction, aims to raise funding for the African Pangolin Working Group. Consisting of 19 pieces, these works are by upcoming and established artists and sculptors, who have aligned themselves with this important conservation cause.

There are eight species of pangolins, four in Asia and four in Africa. Currently, the Asian pangolins are listed on the IUCN Red List as Endangered and Critically Endangered – from the over harvesting and use of pangolin scales in Chinese Traditional Medicine. This has resulted in the rampant illegal trade of Africa’s pangolins, which are exported to Vietnam and China, where 60% of the population of China use traditional medicine, and pangolins are considered a powerful cure. Pangolin scales consist of keratin (like fingernails) and their curative powers have never been proved. Pangolins, considered the ‘wise old man’, and ‘the bringer of rain’, by African indigenous cultures, are benign creatures that have no teeth and don’t vocalise, preying on ants and termites – essential for the balance of ecosystems wherever they occur.

The African Pangolin Working Group was established in 2011, as one of the first three non-government organisations worldwide, that had a focus on pangolins exclusively. The African Pangolin Working Group strive towards the conservation and protection of all four African pangolin species by generating knowledge, developing partnerships and creating public awareness and education initiatives. The APWG has a footprint in both practical conservation projects, as well as strategic and landscape level conservation management strategies in South African, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Fundraising through partnerships with significant entities, like Strauss & Co, who have donated their platform for conducting this auction, is vital for the life-saving work of the African Pangolin Working Group and will contribute to significant steps towards saving pangolins now and into the future. Without fast and efficient action, pangolins could be extinct in the wild within 10 years.