Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammal, with all eight species threatened by demand for their scales and meat in traditional medicine and luxury food markets.
Pangolins suffer acutely during capture, transit, and holding. Their defensive curling behavior means they are easily collected alive and transported in cramped conditions without food for days. High mortality in transit and captivity reflects their specialized biology and extreme stress. Even when rescued, most confiscated pangolins die before release due to the difficulty of providing adequate care. The suffering is invisible to most consumers of pangolin products.