Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammal; their capture, transport, and killing for scales and meat causes enormous welfare suffering alongside devastating population impacts.
The welfare dimension of pangolin trafficking is severe: animals are caught using stressful methods, packed in overcrowded conditions without food or water, and kept in prolonged captivity before being killed by drowning or burning. The chronic stress of transport and holding conditions causes significant suffering across many weeks. Demand reduction is the most effective intervention for both welfare and conservation.