Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world. Understanding their welfare in both wild and captive conditions highlights the urgent need for international trade enforcement.
Pangolin welfare in the trafficking pipeline is catastrophic. Live pangolins are captured, stuffed into bags and crates, and transported for days to weeks with no food, water, or appropriate conditions. Mortality rates in transit are extremely high. Survivors who reach markets often die within days in captivity because their specialized diet cannot be replicated. The welfare argument against pangolin trafficking is among the most straightforward available: virtually all trafficked pangolins suffer severely throughout the journey and few survive. Rescue pangolins face extreme challenges in rehabilitation because of dietary specialization. Consumer demand reduction in countries where pangolin scales are used medicinally is the most direct route to reducing this welfare crisis.