Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammals on Earth, with all eight species threatened by poaching for scales and meat.
Pangolin trafficking inflicts severe welfare harm at every stage: trapping (often with leg snares causing crush injuries), live transport in cramped, stressful conditions, and slaughter. Stress from capture and confinement is so extreme that many pangolins die before reaching markets. Unlike many trafficked species, pangolins cannot be effectively rehabilitated in captivity — their dietary and social needs are so specialised that captive survival rarely exceeds a few months. The primary welfare intervention is prevention: reducing demand in consuming markets, strengthening enforcement at source, and eliminating the commercial incentive through demand-reduction campaigns.