Wild Pangolin Conservation and Welfare

Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammal in the world, with all eight species facing severe population declines driven by demand for their scales and meat in illegal wildlife trade.

Key Facts

All eight pangolin species are listed on CITES Appendix I banning international commercial trade
An estimated one million pangolins have been trafficked in the last decade alone
Pangolin scales are made of keratin, the same material as human fingernails, yet are falsely believed to have medicinal properties
Pangolins are highly specialized insectivores that cannot survive without specific ant and termite species
Mortality rates for confiscated pangolins in rehabilitation exceed 70% due to extreme stress responses

Welfare Considerations

Pangolins present a heartbreaking welfare crisis at the intersection of wildlife trafficking and individual animal suffering. Their extreme physiological and psychological stress response to capture makes survival in captivity exceptionally difficult — pangolins frequently refuse to eat, develop fatal infections and die within weeks of confiscation even under expert care. This means that for each pangolin successfully rehabilitated and released, many more die in transit, in holding facilities or shortly after rescue. Addressing pangolin welfare requires prioritizing demand reduction to prevent capture, and developing better evidence-based rehabilitation protocols for those animals that are recovered.

What You Can Do

Never purchase pangolin products including scales, meat or traditional medicines containing pangolin derivatives
Support demand reduction campaigns in countries where pangolin consumption is highest
Donate to pangolin-specific rescue and rehabilitation organizations
Report suspected pangolin trafficking to wildlife crime hotlines