Pangolin Trafficking Remains a Major Global Crisis Pangolin trafficking remains extensive despite Appendix I protections, with the latest CITES/IUCN reporting indicating that between 2016 and 2024, seizures of pangolin products involved an estimated 553,042 pangolins across 75 countries and 178 trade routes. Pangolin scales accounted for 99% of confiscated parts, and seizure data likely captures only a fraction of total trafficking because many shipments are never detected.
Recent analysis also shows that illegal trade remains highly organized and concentrated along major routes linking African source countries to Asian destination markets. China and Viet Nam are identified as the main alleged destinations, while Nigeria, Mozambique, Cameroon, and the Congo are key alleged origin countries; one Africa-focused analysis found Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were major exporters, with China, Vietnam, and Singapore as major importers. All eight pangolin species remain threatened or near threatened in the latest conservation assessments, and trafficking is compounded by habitat loss and slow reproductive rates, limiting recovery.
The most recent reporting suggests enforcement is still inadequate, but there are signs of targeted law-enforcement and policy response: at least 709 arrests and 188 convictions were recorded from information supplied by nine parties since 2017, and Nigeria has continued moving toward harsher penalties through its Endangered Species Bill.
