Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammals globally, decimated for scales used in traditional medicine. Zoo programs face significant welfare challenges maintaining this highly specialized species.
Pangolin welfare in captivity is among the most challenging in all of zoo management. Their specialized diet of live ants and termites is difficult and expensive to provide at adequate scale. Without appropriate diet, pangolins develop digestive problems and malnutrition. Their sensitivity to stress means handling, noise, and unfamiliar scents cause acute physiological responses that can be fatal. Advances in husbandry including artificial ant paste diets, specialized housing minimizing stressors, and careful keeper-pangolin relationship development have improved outcomes at leading facilities. The conservation value of captive programs is also questioned — the primary threat is trafficking, which zoo programs cannot directly address. Anti-trafficking enforcement and community awareness are more direct conservation interventions.