Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, with all eight species protected under CITES yet millions killed annually for scales used in traditional medicine and meat considered a delicacy.
Pangolin welfare in the illegal trade involves extreme suffering at every stage. Animals are caught in wire snares that cause limb injuries, transported in sacks that cause dehydration and crushing, and held in stressful conditions before sale or slaughter. Pangolins are shy, solitary animals with specific dietary requirements that make captivity particularly stressful. The scale of trafficking — hundreds of thousands annually from already-depleted populations — creates one of the most acute current wildlife welfare crises. Demand reduction targeting the scale use in traditional medicine offers the highest leverage intervention point, as scale use dwarfs meat consumption in volume.