SA’s Dr Kelsey Skinner has been nominated for a global animal hero award, and you could vote her into the finals!
Johannesburg, South Africa (14 October 2025) – The African Pangolin Working Group’s veterinarian and Executive Director, Dr Kelsey Skinner, has been nominated for the 2025 Worldwide Vets Golden Star Award!
Dr Kelsey specialises in pangolin care locally and abroad, focusing on different subspecies including the Temminck pangolin, which we find here in South Africa.
Her work involves assessing patients, determining the best treatment plans, and overseeing the rehabilitation and release of pangolins rescued from illegal wildlife trade. Sadly, pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, so this work matters, and it stretches far on. Dr Kelsey also supports and guides treatment protocols and release strategies for pangolins at rehabilitation facilities across Africa and Asia.
The proudly South African Golden Star nominee is a member of the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group and the IUCN PSG’s Veterinary Focal Point. Dr Kelsey also currently serves as the full-time vet for African Pangolin Working Group’s (APWG) Pangolarium. It’s the first dedicated facility of its kind in SA where rescuing, treating rewilding and protecting pangolins is the mission.
The Golden Star Award is given annually by Worldwide Vets to individuals who have made wonderful contributions to animal welfare or conservation. Last year, the award went to Saaed Al Err from Gaza, with Anna Izmailova (Serbia) and Neha Panchamiya (India) as runners-up.
If you’d like to support Dr Kelsey, you can vote for her when polls open on 20 October. The Top 10 finalists will be announced in November and the winner revealed in December.
“We’re thrilled to share that Dr Kelsey has been nominated for the [Worldwide Vets] Golden Star Award! This recognition celebrates her dedication to wildlife conservation, veterinary excellence, and compassionate care for all animals here in South Africa, as well as beyond our borders. [Dr Skinner’s] unwavering commitment to conserve pangolins continues to inspire us all and we’re proud to have her as part of our team,” shares the APWG.
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