Zoo Pangolin Welfare and Anti-Trafficking Efforts

Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammals and are extremely difficult to maintain in captivity, creating complex welfare and conservation challenges.

Key Facts

All eight pangolin species are threatened; four are critically endangered due to trafficking for meat and scales
Over a million pangolins have been trafficked in the past decade
Pangolins are notoriously difficult to maintain in captivity — mortality rates are high even in specialist facilities
Their specialist diet of ants and termites is difficult to replicate with commercial insect supplies
San Diego Zoo has achieved some captive breeding success using specialist diet formulations

Welfare Considerations

Pangolin welfare in captivity faces fundamental challenges from their highly specialised diet and elusive, stress-prone nature. These animals are so rarely studied in the wild that basic behavioural requirements remain poorly understood. High mortality in rescue and rehabilitation settings reflects both the difficulty of their care and the poor condition animals arrive in after trafficking. The primary conservation intervention for pangolins must be demand reduction and enforcement rather than captive breeding, given the difficulty of maintaining welfare in captivity. Zoos are most valuable in public education and demand reduction campaigns rather than as breeding facilities.

What You Can Do

Never purchase pangolin products — scales, meat or traditional medicines containing pangolin parts
Support anti-trafficking organisations working on enforcement and demand reduction
Donate to Save Pangolins and similar organisations
Engage with zoo education programs raising awareness about pangolin trafficking