Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammal, captured by the million for scales and meat. Their welfare during trafficking is catastrophic, and wild populations are collapsing across Asia and Africa.
Pangolin trafficking causes some of the most severe welfare violations documented in wildlife crime. These solitary, specialist insectivores are profoundly unsuited to captivity — they cannot eat typical captive food and die rapidly from stress and starvation when held in transit. The demand driving their trade is rooted in traditional medicine beliefs not supported by scientific evidence. Wild pangolin populations in Asia are already functionally depleted; African species are now targeted to fill the gap. Addressing pangolin welfare requires enforcement at every point in the trade chain — from poaching to border crossing to end-market sale — combined with demand reduction campaigns in consumer countries.