Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammal globally, with all eight species threatened by illegal trade for meat and scales, creating massive welfare and conservation crises simultaneously.
Pangolin welfare intersects poaching, trafficking, and captivity welfare in one of the most acute wildlife crises globally. The capture and trafficking experience is profoundly stressful for pangolins — they are highly sensitive animals who are rarely successfully maintained in captivity, meaning most trafficked pangolins die in transit or shortly after arrival. Captive rehabilitation for pangolin conservation is extremely difficult, requiring specialized diets and management that few facilities can provide. Demand reduction for pangolin products — driven by evidence that scales have no medicinal value — is the most critical conservation and welfare intervention. Supporting demand reduction campaigns in consumer countries is the highest-impact individual action.