All eight pangolin species are under severe threat from illegal trafficking for their scales and meat, enduring extreme suffering during capture, transport, and slaughter.
Trafficked pangolins endure intense suffering including capture stress, prolonged transport without food or water, and painful slaughter methods. The animals defensive curling behavior, which protects them from natural predators, makes them fatally easy for poachers to collect. Surviving pangolins in captivity often die from stress-related illness.