| Previous episode | Next episode |
|---|---|
| "Snowy Owl Invasion" | "A Creature Christmas" |
"Pangolin Rescue" is the 4th episode of Season 4 of the PBS Kids show Wild Kratts. It is the 96th episode of the series overall. It premiered on July 20, 2016.
In the episode, the Kratt brothers find a ground pangolin walking on the African savanna. Intrigued by its keratin scales, which are used in defense, the Wild Kratts set out to learn more about the pangolin and to tell everybody about it. However, they receive a message from Chinese kids Yi and Duyi, who tell them that they found a pangolin trap in the forest outside their village. The Wild Kratts eventually find out that these traps were set by Gourmand, who plots to use pangolin scales as ingredients in medicinal fruit smoothies.
Plot[]
The episode begins with a live-action segment. At the San Diego Zoo, the Kratt brothers find an African white-bellied tree pangolin. Afterward, they ask their "What if?" question, and the show transitions into the animated segment.
The Kratt brothers are on the African savanna, helping Aviva understand keratin, which appears to be in creatures everywhere. Suddenly, a ground pangolin walks by them on its hind legs. The Kratt brothers follow the scaly creature, which Martin names T. Rex. However, Aviva is upset at the Kratt brothers because they never mentioned the pangolin to her before, despite introducing her to all kinds of other creatures. The Kratt brothers feel bad, and are about to apologize when they notice a pair of lions approaching T. Rex. Sensing the lions, T. Rex curls up into a scaly ball. The lions attempt to but are unable to bite through T. Rex's scales, which are made of keratin. After the lions give up, T. Rex uncurls and sheds a scale. Aviva picks it up and returns to the Tortuga to make a Pangolin Creature Power Suit. While working on the suit, Aviva and her teammates receive a message from Chinese kids Yi and Duyi, who tell them they found a pangolin trap in the forest outside their village.
The Wild Kratts take off in their Tortuga and land outside of Yi and Duyi's village. Yi and Duyi lead them to the trap, which captured a mother Chinese pangolin and her pup. Chris lifts the trap, which looks like a spaghetti strainer, to release the pangolins. Martin names the pup Artichoke because it reminds him of an artichoke. Aviva, Yi, and Duyi then return to the Tortuga to work on the Pangolin Suit, while the Kratt brothers search for the trap-setter. After stumbling upon another pangolin trap, the Kratt brothers realize that Artichoke and his mother are not safe and run off to find them. Later, they call their teammates to report that they found Artichoke but not his mother. Aviva finishes a Pangolin Power Disc, which Jimmy teleports to the Kratt brothers. Chris catches the disc first and touches Artichoke to activate Pangolin Power, but after activating his suit, his scales fall off. Martin laughs hysterically but then notices a clouded leopard in the distance. Jimmy teleports a second Pangolin Disc to Chris, who reactivates his suit and saves Artichoke just before the clouded leopard pounces on him. Unable to bite through Chris's scales, the clouded leopard gives up and rolls Chris down an incline. At the bottom Chris hits a button on a mound, which activates a trap that causes him to get picked up by a pair of tongs. Martin tries to get him down, but Chris tells him not to so he can find who set the trap and possibly who took Artichoke's mother. Chris gives Artichoke to Martin, who hides after hearing rustling Gourmand comes out and looks at Chris, thinking he is a "new green species."
After stuffing Chris in a sack, Gourmand heads back to his boat and unfolds his restaurant. He picks up one of several pangolins he caught (Artichoke's mother) and plots to grind its scales to make medicinal fruit smoothies. Chris, who is caged with the captured pangolins, finds T. Rex among those caught. Chris "asks" T. Rex if he had seen Artichoke's mother, but inadvertently catches Gourmand's attention. Gourmand explains to him his plan to make medicinal fruit smoothies and refuses to believe that consuming pangolin scales provides no real health benefits. He returns to preparing his smoothies when he notices that Martin, who arrived with Pangolin Power, is holding Artichoke's mother. Gourmand fires dough balls at him, pinning him to the kitchen wall. Martin uses his free tail to unpick the lock holding in Chris and the pangolins. The pangolins roll away and knock Gourmand into the water. Chris pulls Martin out of the sticky dough and flings him into the water, and they swim away with the pangolins. Back at the Tortuga, the Kratt brothers send a message about how cool pangolins are, and they apologize to Aviva for not telling them and others about pangolins earlier.
The episode transitions into the concluding live action segment. The Kratt brothers feed pangolins at the San Diego Zoo. Afterward, they conclude the episode by saying "Keep on creature adventuring; we'll see you on the creature trail!"
Characters[]
Animals[]
Animation[]
Note: Featured animals are in bold.
- Ground Pangolin: T. Rex
- Chinese Pangolin: Artichoke
- Black Rhinoceros (called rhino): Nubs
- African Crested Porcupine: Quillber
- Warlike Termite
- Grant's Zebra (called zebra)
- Impala (called antelope)
- Martial Eagle (called bird)
- Lion
- Black-brown Lift-bellied Ant (called ant)
- Clouded Leopard
- Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse
- Atlantic Goliath Grouper
Mentioned[]
Note: Mentioned animals are linked to Wikipedia.
- Tyrannosaurus rex (mentioned as T. rex)
Live Action[]
Note: Live action animals are linked to Wikipedia.
- North American porcupine (called porcupine)
- Hooded skunk (called skunk)
- Desert tortoise (called tortoise)
- Tree pangolin (called African white-bellied pangolin)
- Serval
Trivia[]
- Martin understands Mandarin.
- This is the first episode since Neck and Neck on Season 2 to be filmed in the African Savannah.
Key Facts and Creature Moments[]
- Pangolins are sometimes called scaly anteaters but they aren't related to anteaters at all.
- A ground pangolin defending itself from a pride of lions.
- Chinese pangolin climbing a tree and eating ants.
- Pangolins have one of the longest tongues of any animal, used to lap up ants and termites.
- Tree-climbing pangolins like Chinese pangolins have prehensile tails.
- Mammals have keratin for special reasons like horns and hair, in the case of pangolins it's for their defensive scales, pangolins curl up in an impregnable ball of scales as a defence mechanism.
- Pangolin scales are tough enough to withstand the teeth and claws of predators and are also sharp-edged which can cut predators too.
- Pangolin babies ride on their mom's tail.
- Pangolins can be found in Africa and Asia.
- All species of pangolins are rare and endangered.