Pangolins are the world most trafficked mammal, with all eight species threatened by demand for scales and meat in Asian markets. Welfare and conservation are deeply intertwined.
Pangolin welfare in the context of illegal trade is catastrophic — animals are typically smuggled in tightly packed sacks or containers without food, water, or temperature management, causing extreme suffering with high mortality rates before reaching markets. Even animals that survive transport die quickly in inadequate captive conditions. The rescue and rehabilitation of confiscated pangolins requires specialist expertise that is rare — most rehabilitation attempts fail due to inadequate diet provision and disease management. Wild pangolin welfare is primarily threatened by snare and trap injuries in the landscape — pangolins roll into a ball when threatened, making them easy to capture by hand once found. Anti-poaching efforts and demand reduction campaigns in China and Vietnam are the highest-priority interventions.