Animals / pangolin-illegal-trade-and-conservation
Facts about Pangolin: Illegal Trade and Conservation
- 05
Pangolin scales are made of keratin, the same protein found in human fingernails, giving them no medicinal value despite high black-market demand.
- 04
African pangolin populations face growing pressure as Asian pangolin species become increasingly depleted, shifting trafficking routes toward central and west Africa.
- 03
Traditional Chinese medicine demand drives much of the illegal pangolin trade, as their scales are falsely believed to have medicinal properties.
- 02
Pangolins are considered the world's most trafficked wild mammals, with tens of thousands poached annually for their scales and meat.
- 01
All eight pangolin species are listed on CITES Appendix I, providing the highest level of international trade protection.