Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals globally and present extreme challenges for captive welfare and conservation management.
Pangolin welfare in captivity represents one of the most challenging situations in zoological management. The species have highly specialised ecological requirements — specific dietary preferences, cryptic solitary lifestyles, nocturnal activity patterns, and extreme stress responses to human contact — that are extremely difficult to meet in captive settings. Historical mortality rates for captive pangolins were very high, reflecting inadequate understanding of their requirements. Improved protocols developed through Pangolin Welfare Working Groups now enable longer-term survival in specialist facilities, but welfare remains challenging. The primary conservation intervention for pangolins is demand reduction for pangolin products in consumer markets and enforcement against trafficking networks — not captive breeding. Welfare investment in the small number of pangolins in rehabilitation and specialist facilities should be accompanied by conservation investment addressing the root cause of population decline.