Pangolin: Kulu's Journey

Fantastic story of a selfless person giving everything to help another harmless species suffering at the hand of the human race, and the pangolin in return providing the guiding star during a time of need back to Gareth.

The cinematography was brilliant, showing scenes of untouched nature in the beautiful landscapes of South Africa, very impressive lightning and thunder storms, and some what seems to be crazy nights spent under the stars in a world of predators.

It was really well portrayed, directed, and edited throughout providing a thorough, emotional, and gripping story from start to finish.

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.

"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.

What makes this a captivating, magnificient watch is one part direction, one part visuals, and eight parts Anne Nikitin.

As much as the documentary moved me, it was due greatly in part to the earthly, seismic, tectonic, and elemental soundtrack.

Merging deep bass with the rumbles of thunder, soothingly seguing into the sound of rain against the backdrop of soulful ululations of Venda folk songs, the music transports you into a world of goosebumps.

For the purists, this might not be a documentary, but then, does it really matter? The film brings to light the plight of one of the rarest, most reclusive, most ancient of mammals to still roam the earth.

I would much rather call a movie, but that would be doing it a disservice. I would call it a documentary, and that would be a stretch.

What it can, however, be called is a love letter. A love letter to nature. A billet doux to the underdog. A liebesbrief to one of the geekiest, quiestest, and unassuming of mammals.

Watch it, and make everyone around you watch it!

A Joburg man describes himself as a hyperactive child and has always doubted whether he's good enough, probably because he could never sit still and couldn't make it through high school. He then spends his youth in motor racing and partying, leading a life of debauchery and lack of consequences. That is until two of his friends die in an accident, causing him to take stock of his own life and wondering the meaning of it. Here in the making of this documentary, he finds his purpose looking after a juvenile pangolin, initially named Gijima, then renamed by him as Kulu, because why not.

The precious pangolin cannot express its consent to anything that it will be subjected to for the sake of this documentary and its storytelling, which chooses to focus on the handler's supposed redemption, rather than the terrible plight of pangolins in the poaching world. Isn't it curious that the most vulnerable pangolin in the program's care, Gijima, was placed in the hands of the most inexperienced handler, Gareth? It is clearly nothing more than a plot device to raise the stakes for Gareth - will he succeed or will he prove a failure yet again? How nail-biting.

Just like in My Octopus Teacher, this documentary prioritises the human element over the animal subject. It comes across as the pangolin having been twice exploited; the first time by poachers, torn away from its mother, only to be rescued and cast in a supporting role to humans who are seeking purpose, recognition and perhaps a second Oscar win for Best Documentary. What's more on the cards is a diagnosis of ADHD for Gareth. Unfortunately, he doesn't make a compelling protagonist and his personal history feels intentionally vague, so I was unable to invest in his story. Save for cute shots of Gijima, I was thoroughly bored.