There are eight pangolin species worldwide. Four of the species can be found in 17 range states across Asia, and four in 31 range states across Africa. Pangolins occupy a diverse array of habitats; some are arboreal or semiarboreal and climb with the aid of prehensile tails, while others are ground-dwelling. Some pangolin species such as the Chinese pangolin and Temminck’s ground pangolin sleep in underground burrows during the day, and others including white-bellied pangolins and Sunda pangolins are known to sleep in trees. Pangolins dig burrows with their strong front legs and claws, using their tails and rear legs for support and balance.
Pangolins are insectivores. They use their claws to break into nests of ants and termites, and they use their long, sticky tongues to lap up the insects. A juvenile pangolin will remain with its mother for three to four months clinging to her tail as she forages for insects. Pangolins have few defenses beyond their scaly exterior. While their habit of rolling up in a ball is an effective response to predators, the behavior actually makes it easier for poachers to collect and transport these toothless mammals.
Laws & Regulations
At the 17th Conference of the Parties (CoP17) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in 2016, all eight pangolin species were uplisted from Appendix II to Appendix I. This change went into effect on January 2, 2017, banning the commercial international trade of all eight pangolin species and their parts, and empowering range states to increase domestic protections to fight the tremendous threats facing the species.
The United States continued to be a strong advocate for pangolins at the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP19), in November 2022. At CoP19, a resolution was adopted that urges Parties to report to the CITES Secretariat on the contents and management of any pangolin stockpiles and to "take all necessary legislative, regulatory and enforcement measures to close their domestic markets for commercial trade in pangolin specimens".
Threats & Conservation Status
Despite protections under CITES and domestic laws, poaching and illegal trade in pangolins continue at a high rate. Recent IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessments indicate that all eight species are declining and at risk of extinction. One species of pangolin, the Temminck’s ground pangolin, is also listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Recent estimates based on seizure data suggest that between 2000 and 2019, the equivalent of more than 895,000 pangolins were trafficked globally.
Pangolins in general do not thrive in captivity, and their slow reproductive rate and low natural population density in the wild suggest that current trade levels are unsustainable. Prior to the inclusion of all pangolin species in Appendix I, Asian pangolin populations became increasingly hard to find even with a zero export quota in place, and so traders turned to the African pangolin species to meet market demand. This put the African species under additional pressure from local and regional demand for bushmeat and other traditional uses.
International Cooperation to Protect Pangolins
In 2015, the first Pangolin Range States Meeting took place in Vietnam. Co-hosted by Vietnam and the United States and organized by Humane Society International, this meeting convened representatives from 14 Asian and 17 African pangolin range countries. Together with pangolin experts, non-government organizations, and representatives from the U.S. Government and CITES Secretariat, participants discussed the latest pangolin population and international trade information in order to respond to CITES-prescribed calls for information and action, and developed a unified action plan with recommendations to protect all eight pangolin species.
In preparation for the Pangolin Range States Meeting, we organized an informal technical roundtable discussion with partners interested in pangolin conservation in Yaoundé, Cameroon, as a side event to the 2015 Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) meeting. Thirty-five participants gathered to exchange information on pangolin priority areas and current pangolin conservation activities, discuss future plans and funding opportunities for Central African pangolin conservation initiatives, and compile information on pangolins in Central Africa.
In collaboration with the Zoological Society of London, in 2016 we launched MENTOR-POP (Progress on Pangolins) as part of our MENTOR fellowship program. Based in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the 18-month MENTOR-POP program developed a transdisciplinary team of nine early career Central African and Asian conservation leaders to champion the conservation of pangolins in Central Africa. Fellows co-authored scientific publications with the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group and contributed comprehensive data for a recent report on the trade of African pangolins into the Chinese Traditional Medicine industry. Their efforts at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP17) to CITES helped achieve the inclusion of all pangolin species in CITES Appendix I and ultimately contributed to the first-ever public burn of confiscated pangolin scales, held by the government of Cameroon as part of World Pangolin Day 2017.
Leading up to and during CITES CoP17, the United States worked closely with a coalition of countries, non-government organizations, and MENTOR-POP fellows to achieve the inclusion of all pangolin species in Appendix I. The inclusion of pangolins in Appendix I entered into force on January 2, 2017.
