Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammals in the world. All eight species face severe welfare harms from poaching and trafficking, and three Asian species are critically endangered.
Pangolin welfare and conservation are inseparable: the animal's extraordinary sensitivity makes captive survival rates poor, meaning prevention of poaching is both the welfare and conservation priority. Trafficked pangolins experience extreme stress from capture, confinement in dense sacks, starvation during transit, and exposure to disease from other trafficked animals. Mortality before reaching markets is high, and those that arrive alive face further suffering before sale. Demand reduction campaigns targeting pangolin scale consumers in Vietnam and China are the highest-impact intervention, supported by enforcement against trafficking networks and community engagement with poaching source communities.