Pangolins are unique mammals that have roamed the Earth for over 80 million years, and are sadly now on the brink of extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has just proposed to list seven pangolin species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). If finalized, this would tighten U.S. restrictions on trade and import and highlight the urgent need to save these remarkable animals from extinction.
Pangolins are the planet’s only scaly mammals, known for their armor-like appearance and their habit of curling into a ball when threatened. Four species live in Asia and four in Africa, all facing severe population declines due to poaching and illegal trade. The primary drivers of these declines are the demand for their meat and scales, which are used in some traditional medicines.
“This is a pivotal moment for pangolin conservation,” said Danielle Kessler, U.S. country director for IFAW. “Ten years ago, our groups petitioned to list pangolins as endangered due to the extreme levels of poaching and trafficking that were driving population declines. Sadly, those threats have not abated, and seizures of pangolins, and their parts and products, are all too common. By recognizing the urgent need to protect pangolin species under the ESA, the U.S. is taking a leadership role in combating wildlife trafficking and preserving biodiversity.”
Although commercial trade protections were introduced under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in 2017, pangolin trafficking persists. Recent seizures include nearly 4 tons of scales in Nigeria this April (representing about 2,000 dead pangolins) and 1.2 tons in Indonesia last November. Between 2016 and 2020, U.S. officials intercepted 76 illegal shipments of pangolin parts.
Currently, only one species, Africa’s Temminck’s ground pangolin, is protected under the ESA. Extending protections to the other seven would ban most imports and interstate sales of pangolin parts and could boost funding for anti-trafficking and conservation programs.
The proposal stems from a 2015 petition and a 2020 legal settlement requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to act. Public comments supporting the listing are due by August 18, 2025.
