This unique video shows one of the most rarely seen animals in the African bush. During a walking safari in Kruger Park, South Africa this tour group were surprised by a wild pangolin suddenly approaching through the long grass.

Pangolins are notoriously difficult to find or study because they spend much of their lives in burrows underground, and seldom come up to the surface.

Their bodies are protected by an armour of overlapping brown scales, making them well equipped for self-defence, usually rolling up into a ball when threatened.

The name of the pangolin comes from the Malay word, pengguling, which means 'to roll up' and describes the pangolin's habit of rolling itself into a ball when threatened.

The video shows one of the most rarely seen animals in the African bush. During a walking safari in the Kruger Park we were stunned by the sight of a pangolin suddenly approaching us through the long grass. The Cape pangolin is a strange-looking armour-plated ant-eating mammal that few people have ever seen in the wild, and even fewer scientists have ever studied. The pangolin was surprisingly very relaxed with our presence and walked straight towards us as if we did not exist. This unexpected relaxed behaviour of the animal gave us the perfect opportunity to film this fascinating creature in its natural environment from a close distance. The body is protected by armour of imbricated brown scales, which uniquely identifies this specie amongst all mammals. Pangolins are well equipped for self-defence. The Pangolin usually rolls up into a ball when threatened Since Pangolin are entirely insectivorous, an abundant availability of ants and termites to sustain subsistence, governs its occurrence. The name of the Pangolin comes from the Malay word, pengguling, which means 'to roll up' and describes the Pangolin's habit of rolling itself into a ball when threatened. Because of its habits the Pangolin is a rarely seen animal by safari travellers and is often high on the list of 'must sees'.