What is a pangolin?

Pangolins are the only mammals covered in scales and are currently the most trafficked mammals globally, primarily driven by demand for their meat and scales in Asia. Despite a 2016 international treaty banning legal trade and China's 2020 decision to grant the Chinese Pangolin the highest level of protection, illegal trafficking persists. Between 2017 and 2019, over 609 confiscations in Asia resulted in the seizure of 540,000 pounds of scales and 10,971 animals, though experts estimate these seizures represent only 10% of the total illegal trade volume.

• Pangolins are unique mammals characterized by being the only species wholly covered in scales, which they use for defense by curling into a ball.
• Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals globally, with African species frequently smuggled to Asia to meet demand for meat as a delicacy and scales for traditional medicine.
• Between 2017 and 2019, Asia saw more than 609 confiscations involving 10,971 animals and 540,000 pounds of scales, but this is believed to be only 10% of the actual trade volume.
• International and national legal protections include a 2016 treaty by over 180 governments to end all legal trade and a June 2020 action by China to provide the highest level of protection for the native Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).

APA

WWF International (n.d.). What is a pangolin? https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/what-is-a-pangolin/

Chicago

WWF International. What is a pangolin? n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/what-is-a-pangolin/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=What is a pangolin? |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/what-is-a-pangolin/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndwhat, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{What is a pangolin?}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/what-is-a-pangolin/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }