Namibia and Honeybun

A magical encounter with a special pangolin

In January 2018, Jacha took a trip to Namibia with an old friend from his Marion Island days. They spent time in Namibia catching up, camping and taking photos.

While on the trip Jacha visited the Rare & Endangered Species Trust (R.E.S.T) run by Maria Diekmann and had the privilege of meeting the delightful Honeybun, a ground Pangolin, one of the four species of Pangolin found in Africa. Some of you may have seen Honeybun in the pangolin documentary showed on the BBC in May 2018. It was a wonderful moment for Jacha as he has been raising awareness of pangolins and their fight for survival for a long time through his work at the Platform Galeri.

The Rare & Endangered Species Trust works to save Namibia’s most endangered species. They are a non profit organisation that began by helping only the plight of the Cape Griffon vulture, but after a few years it became apparent that there were a few species that needed specific support in Namibia.Their research now focuses on the ‘Forgotten Five +1.’ The African Wild Dog, Cape Griffon Vulture, Damara Dik Dik, Dwarf Python, Pangolin and Spotted Rubber Frog.

Photographs that Jacha took on the trip form part of the current exhibition at the Platform Galeri.