Pangolins are the only scaled mammal in the world. Also known as the “scaly anteater”, a pangolin’s body is largely covered in scales made up of keratin—the same material as human fingernails.
Unfortunately, pangolins are being trafficked at alarming rates for their meat and scales, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Over a million pangolins have been illegally poached from the wild in the past decade to feed the demand of the global wildlife trade for their scales and meat.
Pangolins have been in the spotlight since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is believed they could have been an intermediate host that transmitted the virus to humans.
More than 70% of emerging zoonotic infectious diseases come from wildlife, meaning the demand for wild animals puts us all at risk. Pangolins poached from the wild are often placed in squalid, cramped cages, creating a lethal hotbed of disease, in conjunction with enormous suffering and cruelty.
You have the power to change this.
By pledging to become a Pangolin Protector, you are pledging to:
- Demand an end to pangolin poaching
- Speak out against the global wildlife trade
- Support World Animal Protection’s work to protect pangolins
- Educate friends and family on how to end pangolin poaching
Take the Pangolin Protector pledge and urge family and friends to do the same.