Pangolin Welfare and Illegal Trade

Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammals, with all eight species threatened by illegal trade for their scales and meat, and welfare suffering is extreme across the capture, transport, and consumption chain.

Key Facts

An estimated one million pangolins have been trafficked in the past decade
All eight pangolin species are protected under CITES Appendix I
Pangolins curl into a ball when threatened - this defence mechanism makes them easy to collect
They are transported alive in sacks, dying from stress, dehydration, and injury during transit
Scales are used in traditional medicine despite no evidence of efficacy
Ground pangolins walk slowly and have small home ranges making population recovery very slow

Welfare Considerations

Pangolin welfare harm from illegal trade is extreme at every stage. Collection involves prying them from their defensive curl, causing stress and often injury. Transport in overcrowded sacks without food, water, or temperature control causes dehydration and suffocation deaths - illegal shipments commonly have mortality rates of 20-50%. Survivors reaching markets may be kept alive in poor conditions for days. Pangolins are highly sensitive to stress and often die in captivity from the physiological effects of capture even without direct injury. The welfare case against pangolin trafficking is overwhelming, and consumer demand reduction is critical to ending the trade.

What You Can Do

Never purchase pangolin scales, meat, or products claimed to contain pangolin
Support Save Pangolins and African Wildlife Foundation conservation programmes
Donate to WildAid and TRAFFIC's demand reduction campaigns in consumer markets
Advocate for stronger international cooperation on pangolin trafficking enforcement
Report suspected pangolin trafficking to INTERPOL's wildlife crime unit
Raise awareness about pangolin conservation to reduce demand for pangolin products