Pangolin Trafficking: Welfare in Illegal Wildlife Trade

Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammals, with millions captured from the wild annually under conditions of extreme welfare suffering.

Key Facts

All eight pangolin species are protected under CITES, yet an estimated 200,000+ are trafficked annually.
Chinese and Sunda pangolins are Critically Endangered; all four African species are Vulnerable to Critically Endangered.
Pangolins are captured by rolling them out of their defensive ball posture — their unique self-protection becomes a vulnerability.
Trafficked pangolins are transported in cramped sacks, often for weeks without food, water, or appropriate temperature.
Pangolin scales (keratin, same as human fingernails) are used in traditional medicine despite no proven efficacy.

Welfare Considerations

The welfare suffering of trafficked pangolins is extreme and prolonged. Capture involves unrolling from their defensive posture, often with physical force causing injury. Subsequent transport in crowded sacks or boxes causes dehydration, starvation, hyperthermia, and traumatic injuries from crowding. Mortality during trafficking is high — often 50-80% before reaching markets. Survivors face further stress at markets before slaughter, which may be performed without stunning. Rehabilitation of rescued pangolins is extremely challenging — they are highly specialised obligate myrmecophages (ant and termite eaters) that rarely survive captivity. The welfare and conservation cases for ending pangolin trafficking are inseparable: addressing demand through consumer behaviour change and law enforcement are the primary interventions.

What You Can Do

Never purchase pangolin products including scales, meat, or traditional medicines containing pangolin.
Support Save Pangolins and Pangolin Crisis Fund which coordinate enforcement and demand reduction.
Report suspected pangolin trafficking to TRAFFIC or wildlife crime hotlines.
Advocate for consumer demand reduction campaigns in key market countries.
Donate to veterinary rehabilitation programmes supporting rescued pangolins.