Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammals in the world, facing severe welfare suffering during capture, transport, and at destination markets.
The wildlife trade inflicts catastrophic welfare suffering on pangolins at every stage of the supply chain. Captured animals are typically stored in sacks, exposed to temperature extremes, deprived of food and water for days, and transported in conditions that cause high mortality. Survivors arrive at markets severely stressed and often injured. The species-specific difficulties of pangolin care make rescue and rehabilitation challenging, and long-term captive husbandry remains largely unsolved. Demand reduction in consumer markets combined with source-country enforcement are the only realistic welfare and conservation interventions.