Pangolins, being solitary animals, are susceptible to predation and environmental hazards. As a result, they employ various strategies, including utilizing dens and burrows, to safeguard themselves from predators and adverse weather conditions. Dens and burrows not only offer shelter and protection but also aid in thermoregulation, as pangolins, ectothermic creatures, are incapable of regulating their body temperature internally. These structures provide an optimal environment for pangolins to maintain their body temperature and shield themselves from extreme heat and cold. Additionally, dens and burrows serve as crucial sites for raising young, resting, and accessing food sources. In other cases, pangolins are capable of digging their burrows, they may also utilize existing burrows constructed by other animals. The type of burrow a pangolin chooses depends on various factors, including the pangolin species, the habitat characteristics, and the season.

Several studies have been counting burrows/dens to understand the abundance of pangolins in their area. TRCO through financial support from the USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Project conducted burrow and den count surveys in protected areas and the adjacent villages found along the wildlife corridors in Kwakuchinja, Amani-Nilo, and Nyerere-Selous-Udzungwa in Tanzania. This project aims to understand human-pangolin interaction, the distribution of pangolins in villages, the distribution of feeding grounds of pangolins, identify suitable areas to release rescued pangolins, and the threats pangolins are facing due to increasing human populations in wildlife corridors.