Pangolin Conservation and Anti-Trafficking: Welfare in the Most Trafficked Mammal

Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammal globally. The welfare harms of capture, transport, and processing are extreme, making anti-trafficking efforts both a conservation and welfare priority.

Key Facts

All eight pangolin species are listed as Vulnerable to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
Pangolins are captured for meat and scales used in traditional medicine in Asia and Africa
They curl into a ball when threatened, making them easy to pick up — their main defence works against predators but not poachers
Mortality rates during live transport can exceed 50% due to stress and inadequate conditions
CITES banned international commercial trade in all pangolin species in 2016

Welfare Considerations

Pangolins suffer acute welfare harms at every stage of the trafficking chain. Capture causes extreme stress in these shy, solitary animals. Live transport in cramped, dark containers without appropriate temperature, humidity, or food causes rapid deterioration and high mortality. Those that survive transport may be held in inadequate conditions before sale or slaughter. The combination of severe welfare harm and extreme population decline — driven entirely by human demand — makes pangolin conservation a clear case where welfare and conservation interests completely align. Consumer demand reduction in China and Vietnam, combined with law enforcement against trafficking networks, represents the most impactful intervention.

What You Can Do

Never consume pangolin meat or products containing pangolin scales
Support anti-trafficking organisations working to protect pangolins
Advocate for stronger enforcement of the international CITES trade ban
Engage with demand reduction campaigns targeting pangolin product use in traditional medicine