Pangolins are the world's most trafficked wild mammals, with all eight species facing severe population pressure and individual animals in transit suffering extreme welfare harm through stress, injury, and disease.
Pangolins in trafficking situations experience acute and often fatal welfare harm. Sealed in bags and containers, they suffer hyperthermia, dehydration, crushing injuries from stacking, and extreme psychological stress. Their primary defense — curling into a tight ball when threatened — is ineffective against human handling and makes them easier to stack and transport. Most pangolins seized from trafficking die despite rescue attempts because their stress response is so profound and their specialized dietary needs so difficult to meet. The combination of capture stress, transit conditions, and captive feeding challenges makes the mortality rate in confiscated pangolins extraordinarily high. Preventing trafficking at the point of capture or early in the supply chain provides the best welfare protection.