Wildlife

Pangolin Welfare: The World's Most Trafficked Mammal

All eight species of pangolin are now threatened with extinction due to illegal trafficking for their scales and meat. They are the world's most trafficked wild mammal.

Key Facts

An estimated 1 million pangolins have been trafficked in the past decade
All eight species are protected under CITES Appendix I since 2016
Pangolins are highly specialised — they cannot survive in captivity and die rapidly from stress
Their scales are keratin — identical to human fingernails — yet command high prices in traditional medicine
Pangolins curl into a ball when threatened, making them easy to collect by hand

Welfare Considerations

Pangolins captured for the wildlife trade experience extreme stress during transport — they cannot eat, are packed into sacks or boxes, and die rapidly from respiratory infection, starvation and shock. Their inability to survive captivity means every trafficked pangolin dies. The scale of the trade means tens of thousands of animals experience this death annually. Demand reduction in consumer markets is the only long-term solution.

What You Can Do

Support Wildlife Justice Commission, TRAFFIC and Save Pangolins campaigns
Advocate for stronger CITES enforcement and penalties in consumer and source countries
Never purchase products containing pangolin scales or meat
Engage with social media awareness campaigns on pangolin trafficking
Donate to African Wildlife Foundation and Tikki Hywood Foundation pangolin work