Elena Cogliatti is a scientific illustrator from Switzerland and lives in Zurich. Her enthusiasm for painting the world of flora and fauna goes way back to her childhood. Four years ago, she decided to turn her passion for art into her profession by applying to study illustration at the University of Art and Design in Lucerne. In summer 2020, she completed her bachelor’s degree with the concept for a children’s book about the endangered pangolin. Unfortunately, very few people in her home country Switzerland know about this animal.

With the help of her children’s book, Elena wants to make children and their parents aware of this extraordinary animal and the problems it faces. She wants to bring it closer to the readers in all its peculiarities and clear up any prejudices.

In particular, Elena is interested in illustrating animals that at first glance seem somewhat inconspicuous and generally receive little attention. Those that can’t sneak their way into people’s hearts with fluffy fur or big eyes.

For almost two years now, Elena has been studying the pangolin in detail because of their uniqueness and the fact that pangolins are the most illegally traded mammal in the world. Elena believes that children should be made aware of the great biodiversity of our planet as early as possible because there are so many species out there that we need to help protect together.