Pangolins are the world's most trafficked wild mammals. Their populations are collapsing across Africa and Asia, yet basic survey data remains alarmingly sparse.
Pangolins suffer immensely from the wildlife trade. Captured animals are typically transported in tightly packed bags, subjected to dehydration, suffocation, and crushing injuries. Survival rates in transit are low, and those that arrive alive at markets face prolonged stress before slaughter. The near-impossibility of keeping pangolins in captivity means that trade seizures often result in animals too stressed and damaged to rehabilitate — euthanasia becomes the most welfare-sparing option. Conservation surveys using camera traps, acoustic monitoring, and local community knowledge are expanding our understanding of remaining populations, but baseline data is critically inadequate for most species. Demand reduction in consumer markets for pangolin products is the most urgent welfare and conservation intervention.