Pangolins are critically endangered due to illegal wildlife trade and are notoriously difficult to maintain in captivity. Zoo welfare programs face extreme challenges in meeting their highly specialized needs.
Pangolins represent one of the most difficult zoo welfare challenges. Their extreme sensitivity to stress, highly specialized diet, and nocturnal solitary lifestyle make zoo environments fundamentally unsuitable for most facilities. Historical captive mortality has been very high, with pangolins dying within weeks of arrival at unprepared facilities. Specialized pangolin rescue centers in South Africa and Taiwan, using purpose-built housing, live insect provision, and minimal human contact protocols, are achieving longer-term survival. The welfare argument for most zoo institutions is that they should not hold pangolins unless they meet specialized standards. Conservation and anti-trafficking efforts are more impactful than captive programs.