Protecting pangolins
PROTECTING PANGOLINS
We work with partners on a global scale to halt the illegal trade in all animals, including pangolins. Here’s some of our successes in helping to protect these fascinating creatures.
- International commercial trade in pangolins, and parts and products derived from them, was banned in 2016 by virtue of the listing of all eight species on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an achievement in which Born Free played a significant part.
- Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, pangolins have become the unfortunate ‘poster-animals’ for efforts by Born Free and many other groups to draw public and political attention to the devastating impacts of the wildlife trade on wild animals and wider biodiversity.
- Wildlife trade has been on Born Free’s radar since our early days. We are working hard to ensure the global community recognises the serious nature of wildlife crime, and allocates the necessary resources to ensure effective enforcement, prosecutorial and judicial processes, and deterrent sentencing
- Born Free is a co-founder and steering group member of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, which is calling for the global community to come together and commit to prioritising and tackling wildlife crime, by agreeing a legally binding protocol under the United National Convention against Transnational Organised Crime
- Born Free has also championed efforts to tackle poaching and wildlife trafficking on the ground. We support brave wildlife rangers who put their lives on the line to protect precious wild animals and prevent poaching. Our longstanding partnership with the EAGLE network in Africa helps bring wildlife criminals to justice. Our partners at Born Free USA are spearheading the development of a coordinated approach to wildlife trafficking across West Africa, which is reaping benefits. We’re also helping the authorities in Sri Lanka to do the same
- We’re also working with our partners to persuade the Chinese authorities to ensure their restrictions on the use of pangolin products are robust, and extend to all uses, including traditional medicines.
PLIGHT OF THE PANGOLIN OUR POLICY WORK