All eight pangolin species are threatened by illegal trafficking for meat and scales, making them the world's most trafficked wild mammal and causing immense individual suffering alongside population collapse.
Pangolin trafficking causes acute suffering at every stage of the illegal supply chain. Pangolins are captured, often by digging them from burrows or plucking them from trees where their defensive rolling makes them easy to collect. They are transported alive in cramped, dark conditions — stressed, dehydrated, and often injured. Their highly specialised diet (specific ant and termite species) means they cannot eat in captivity and rapidly deteriorate even in rescue centres. Many die before reaching markets. Rescue and rehabilitation success rates are low because of their dietary specialisation and extreme stress-sensitivity. Preventing trafficking through law enforcement and demand reduction is the only meaningful welfare intervention.