Vienna, Austria - March 26, 2025 Pangolins, the world’s most trafficked mammals, face a dire threat of extinction. Vienna Zoo will soon become the third zoo in Europe to house Chinese pangolins. These intriguing “pinecones on four legs” will move into the Rainforest House, which is currently being revamped and set to reopen in early 2026 with a fresh concept and new animal species. “Pangolins are a fascinating family of animals. They’re the only mammals covered in scales. Sadly, this protective armor also spells their doom. The scales are used in traditional medicine, leading to mass killings and smuggling,” said Zoo Director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. Pangolins are mostly nocturnal. “We’ll display them in an exhibit mimicking a nighttime rainforest, thanks to special lighting. This lets visitors see them active. There will also be views into their sleeping dens,” Hering-Hagenbeck added. The zoo isn’t just preparing structurally. It signed a cooperation deal with Taipei Zoo and visited pangolin facilities in Prague and Leipzig zoos. A Vienna Zoo zookeeper trained at Taipei Zoo, which excels in breeding Chinese pangolins and runs a rescue center for injured ones, later released back into the wild. With pangolins in the Rainforest House, Vienna Zoo aims to highlight their plight. It also supports their protection in the wild. Since 2024, the zoo has backed the Pangolin Conservation & Research Foundation in northeast Namibia, funding five rangers to study and protect them. In 2023, it hosted a workshop in South Africa with the IUCN, uniting pangolin experts from conservation projects and zoos to boost efforts to save the species.