Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammals, with all eight species facing severe population declines from poaching for scales and meat across Africa and Asia.
Trafficked pangolins experience extreme suffering during capture and transport - as defensive, solitary, nocturnal insectivores, they are profoundly stressed by human handling and the conditions of wildlife trafficking. Pangolins rescued from traffickers are typically severely dehydrated, emaciated, and physically injured. Their highly specialized diet makes rehabilitation extremely challenging, with most rescued pangolins dying in care despite best efforts. Live pangolins in trafficking are transported in cramped, dark conditions without appropriate food or water for extended periods. The scale of trafficking represents mass suffering across millions of individual animals. Conservation efforts that focus on reducing consumer demand for pangolin products in Asian markets address the primary driver of this welfare crisis.