“On a sunny morning in Ghana, the ingredients for pangolin love are falling into place.”

So begins this weekend’s launch of Pangolin Love, the 2017 Valentine’s Day campaign that uses the popular Google Doodle search engine feature to raise awareness about the endangered pangolin, in partnership with pangolin friends from the World Wildlife Fund.

Each landing page Doodle animation tells a story about the pangolin, with the first beginning in Ghana. 

“Pangolin’s sweetheart wants to meet for real, and it’s ready to roll across the globe to make it happen,” the story goes, as the pangolin asks for recipes on how to create the perfect heart-winning date.

“If you want to make a sweet impression, the recipe is simple,” says the giant pangolin. “Collect cocoa beans for a delectable dessert!”

After visiting West Africa, the Google Doodle explored China, Southeast Asia and other regions where the scaly pangolins live. By Day 3, the lovestruck pangolin game was being followed by online fans all over the globe, including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

Pangolins are the most-trafficked mammals in the world, according to the WWF. That’s because of demand for their meat and unique scales; more than 1 million pangolins have been illegally taken and used in fashion products and medicinal remedies.

Pangolin populations have been devastated by poaching, including at least 80 percent of pangolins in Asia. Two of the eight species are on the endangered list.

Want to spread some Pangolin Love of your own? Send a WWF valentine e-card to your own special scaly friends. Both donation-based and free cards are available at this link.

Image: WWF