Help end the brutal pangolin trade

(c) USAID Asia

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that habitat loss has long been a threat to pangolin populations across Asia and Africa. But, for several decades now, another equally critical threat has placed the survival of these vulnerable animals under heightened pressure. This is why Born Free has launched a major appeal to protect pangolins.

There has always been subsistence hunting of pangolins for local consumption. But, the degree of demand from Asia for their meat as a luxury dish, and for their scales as jewellery and a remedy for physical ailments is a different story altogether.

(c) Sangha Pangolin Project, Maja Gudehus

As with any commodity, supply rises to meet demand. But, since the trade in pangolins across international borders is illegal, the same transnational criminal syndicates which traffic other wildlife such as rhino horn, elephant ivory, and tiger parts have steadfastly been filling this huge increase in demand.

Seizures of pangolin meat and scales by government authorities across Africa and Asia take place regularly. According to the wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, between 2017 and 2019 more than 600 seizures took place in Asia. These accounted for more than 244 tonnes of scales and 10,971 individual animals. Sadly, large scale seizures have continued ever since.

These massive number are hard to get one’s head around. However, this is only a fraction of the total number of animals being killed and traded. Many more illegal shipments manage to make it through to their intended destination without being intercepted. The sheer scale of the killing is clearly unsustainable and has led to pangolins’ unfortunate status as the most trafficked mammal in the world.

Determining population numbers is notoriously difficult, making it very hard to assess the impact of this brutal and out of control trade. How long pangolins will be with us is anyone’s guess.

However, all is not lost. Many enforcement authorities are improving their response to poaching and trafficking. Organisations such as Born Free are pushing for stronger measures to be taken at a national level in both source and demand countries to complement the international ban. Key measures include protecting pangolins in their habitat, reducing demand for their meat and scales, and closing legal loopholes in key countries which allow trade to continue.

We are doing what we can but clearly need to do more. And, with your help and kind donations, we will.

PROTECTING PANGOLINS