Pangolins are under threat primarily from over-exploitation as a result of poaching and illicit trade. Pangolin meat is considered to be a luxury product in parts of China and Vietnam, and they are hunted for bushmeat in Africa. Their scales, blood, and fetuses are used in traditional medicine in China and Africa to treat skin conditions and liver function, improve blood circulation, increase fertility, and address other ailments (despite an absence of scientific evidence to back the alleged medicinal benefits).
When threatened, a pangolin rolls into a ball by wrapping the tail completely around the body as protection against predators, such as lions and other big cats. The sad irony is that the pangolin’s only defense mechanism actually makes it easier for the pangolin’s top predator – humans – to simply pick the animal up. (Similar to skunks, pangolins can secrete a foul smelling odor from the glands near their anus, which they use to mark their territory. Unlike skunks, however, they are not able to spray the odor; the foul smelling acid is used as a deterrent from predators rather than as a defense.)
The Asian species are largely threatened by illegal hunting and trade – and the population decline of Asian pangolins is believed to have led to the African species coming under increasing threat from intercontinental trade, too. Adding to this threat are the growing economic ties between Africa and Asia, and the increasing profitability of the trade in pangolins. The African species are also threatened from hunting due to their consumption in west, central, and southern Africa.
- Born Free USA staff attended the first International Scientific Conference on Pangolin Conservation, Trade, and Rehabilitation in South Africa. Conference participants included delegates, academics, field biologists, students, and nongovernmental organization representatives, and attendees presented on pangolin ecology, biology, trade, threats, habitat range, and rehabilitation. View our poster presentation about the illegal trade of pangolins in Asia.