Pangolín: El viaje de Kulu

My cat Angela & I are obsessed with this Netflix documentary.

These amazing little creatures have been here for 85 million years. They evolved with the dinosaurs. But Chinese poachers are capturing them, killing them for traditional medical treatment. Unless drastic measures are taken, these innocent, perfect "unicorns" will be extinct within 2-3 decades.

But don't think it's all fear & negative predictions. They are establishing a rehab for them in Africa & it tells the story of the man who hand raised this precious Pangolin. I really hope as many of you will watch this & spread the word so these ancient ones won't disappear.

Thank you & my cat thanks you too. She is glued to the screen every time we watch it. This is a worthy cause to support.

"Kulu's Journey" so beautifully captures the relationship between a pangolin and his human caretaker.

In many ways, this documentary is a tribute to the unsung heroes on the frontlines of wildlife conservation around the world - sacrificing their time, relationships and worldly possessions for the animals they care so deeply for.

Without people like Gareth Thomas, pangolins will be reduced to nothing more than stories of a bygone era. It's thanks to volunteers and conservationists alike that we are able to share our planet with such incredible species.

A must watch, and another stellar documentary produced by Pippa Ehrlich and her team.

First of all, this story does not justify its 88-minute runtime, sorry. There's simply not that much content in it, at least in this form. It could easily have been told in a ca. 40 minutes and would have made a great short doc.

The pangolin, while undeniably adorable, has limited behaviors and therefore limited filming possibilities - although the cinematography is superb. But after a while, it feels like you're watching the same happenings and same shots on repeat.

The human character is a kind and nice person, but not particularly charismatic or compelling. I felt that almost any of the other people involved in the rewilding effort could have made for a more engaging protagonist.

It feels like the creators tried to follow a similar formula to My Octopus Teacher, though with a different narrative, but this time it just didn't work. Especially not at this length.

I didn't tear up until David lifted Kulu at the end-now my eyes are swollen and my heart feels so full. Seeing him feed this tiny, trembling pangolin, whispering to her with that gentle kindness, I felt something crack open inside me. There's no heavy-handed lecture-just pure, vulnerable moments that make you want to stand up for these creatures. Pippa Greenwood has a gift for letting feelings breathe. I keep replaying that final scene in my head. It's rare to feel this small and hopeful at once. I'm still crying days later. I can't shake its gentle power. It left a permanent mark on my soul. .

So many rare animals have been poached and killed for their body parts for 'traditional medicine' (said 'medicine' loosely) or sold as exotic pets. SO cruel.

I am thankful there are those kind humans and scientists and government officials out to stop poachers and this horrendous trade. All pangolins are vulnerable to critically endangered on all land masses. I hope these efforts are successful, and make people realize how important our living records of ancient life are, like these pangolins.

Thank you for making such an informative and natural documentary about an amazing animal, and the amazing people trying to protect them.