MSU and German Program alumna Kelsey Prediger recently established the non-governmental organization, the Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation (PCRF). Since graduation, Prediger has been working with wildlife in Namibia, Africa, in part as the Conservation and Tour Manager of the Solitaire Activity Centre for the Solitaire Land Trust. Prediger graduated from Michigan State University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in German and a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and Environmental Biology. In 2018, we caught up with Prediger and asked about her career, MSU experiences, and any advice she has for current students.

As PCRF’s website explains, “little is known about the behaviors and habitats of this scaly, shy mammal. PCRF is focused on changing that. Our conservation efforts include active field research and in-situ conservation, collaborating with partners to inform policy and conservation guidelines, educating and raising awareness on their vulnerable status and engaging communities and empowering locals to raise awareness and protect pangolins.”

After MSU, Prediger pursued a graduate degree in the Namibia University of Science and Technology’s Natural Resources Management Masters program. As the program’s website explains, her “work on the ecology and feeding preferences of pangolins provided valuable insight that contributed towards the protection and management of these secretive and endangered animals in Namibia. ‘Alarming numbers of pangolins as well as their scales and skins are smuggled to China, where they are deemed a sought- after ingredient for traditional medicines,” Prof Morgan Hauptfleisch from the Agriculture and Natural Resources Sciences explained.” See the story on the Namibia University of Science and Technology’s website here.

Congrats Kelsey, and best of luck with PCRF!!