In a quiet room in Hoedspruit, wrapped in a blanket far removed from the wild it should have known, a newborn pangolin rests. Its scales are still soft. Its eyes barely open to the world. This is Archie – one of the most threatened mammals on Earth – and the subject of a photograph by Lance van de Vyver that has now been selected among the top 24 images worldwide for the People’s Choice Award in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards 2026 (#WPY61).
Taken in Hoedspruit, at the heart of South Africa’s conservation landscape, the image is understated. There is no spectacle, no dramatic confrontation. Instead, it offers something far rarer: a pause. A quiet moment that asks a simple, unsettling question: “Why is a wild animal lying in a blanket instead of in its natural habitat?”.
A life born of trauma – and saved by care
This photograph was made just days after Archie’s birth. His mother had been captured by poachers and subjected to severe trauma. The stress caused her to give birth prematurely. Unable to nurse her pup, she left Archie entirely dependent on human care. Shortly afterwards, she died.
The newborn was removed and placed into specialised rehabilitation in Hoedspruit, where he was bottle-fed around the clock by experienced conservation teams – people who work daily with the consequences of wildlife crime, and who quietly dedicate themselves to saving what can still be saved.
Very few people will ever see a pangolin in the wild. Almost no one will see one at this age. That intimacy is deliberate. Van de Vyver photographed the scene in a calm, controlled setting to reflect just how fragile the moment was – a life balanced on the edge, sustained by patience, skill, and compassion.
Beyond the image: a bigger truth
Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals on the planet. Their scales and meat are illegally traded, pushing populations toward collapse. This single image carries both sides of that reality: the brutality of wildlife crime and the extraordinary effort required to rescue even one animal from its consequences.
Yet there is hope here.
Today, that same pangolin is living back in the wild. Knowing this, transforms the photograph from a record of vulnerability into a testament to resilience – proof that conservation success is possible, but never easy.
Voting that creates impact
The People’s Choice Award is determined by public voting. This nomination offers a rare opportunity to amplify awareness around pangolin conservation, ethical wildlife storytelling, and the importance of supporting frontline rehabilitation work in South Africa – particularly here in Hoedspruit.
Voting closes at 14:00 on Wednesday, 18 March 2026. Let us drive home our support for conservation, more especially in this field, by casting your vote here:
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-choice/2025-a-fragile-future.
This image is not about drama. It is about stillness. It is about asking why rescue is necessary at all – and what it takes to give a wild animal a second chance.
In the softness of a blanket, photographed in Hoedspruit, lies both a warning and a promise.
Van de Vyver is also involved with Save Our Wildlife, which supports pangolin rehabilitation and conservation efforts. For readers who wish to get involved directly, ongoing work is supported through their Patreon page:
https://patreon.com/saveourwildlife
