A rescue story about a pangolin named Bafana, who found himself trapped in a football net as the World Cup unfolded on the field.
Limpopo, South Africa (01 July 2026) – The Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre received a call about a pangolin. Their hearts sank. More often than not, pangolin cases involve the devastating reality of illegal wildlife trafficking…
This time, it didn’t.
“But this time, it was something very different.” shares the wildlife centre, which is based in Tzaneen. “Meet Bafana – a magnificent adult male pangolin who somehow managed to get himself hopelessly tangled in a football net. We think he may have been trying to join the World Cup!”
Yes. Just as the real world cup unfolded on our screens and on the field, this little pangolin decided he wanted to be part of the action.
“What started as an innocent wander quickly turned into a life-threatening situation. The more Bafana struggled to free himself, the tighter the net became. Unable to escape, he was completely trapped and becoming increasingly exhausted.”
This is where kindness made all the difference. A member of the public spotted Bafana in his struggle and called Umoya to step in.
“Thankfully, a kind-hearted member of the public spotted him and immediately called us. Without that one phone call, this story could have had a very different ending.”
The team of wildlife rescuers made it to Bafana on time, but he was uncomfortably lodged in the netting which had already started to cause injury.
“When we arrived, poor Bafana was tightly curled into his protective ball, making it incredibly difficult to remove the net. We carefully cut away as much as we could before bringing him back to our rehabilitation centre for a full assessment.”
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“After treating his injuries, giving him fluids, medication, and allowing him time to recover, Bafana is now doing much better.” the rescuers share.
As unfortunate as his accident was, Bafana was also incredibly lucky, Umoya adds.
“He wasn’t found by poacher, he was found by someone who cared enough to stop, make a phone call, and give him a second chance at life.”
Someone chose to care, and that has led to a positive outcome for this little pangolin.
“Thank you to the Good Samaritan who refused to walk away. Because of you, Bafana has another chance to return to the wild where he belongs.”
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