There are three reasons why Pangolins are becoming endangered: traditional medicine, meat consumption and loss of habitat. All eight species are threatened, and three are classed as critically endangered. Pangolin scales and meat have been used as ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years.
Some authors claimed they range from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. The pangolin is an endangered species under the US endangered species act, and like many endangered species it is endangered because of trafficking by humans . The pangolin is the most trafficked animal on the planet.
How many species of pangolins are endangered?
All eight species are threatened, and three are classed as critically endangered. Pangolin scales and meat have been used as ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years.
You could be asking “Are pangolins endangered in the Philippines?”
Two of the four Asian species, the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) and Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), are now listed as Critically Endangered . The Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) and Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) have been moved from Near Threatened to Endangered.
All eight pangolin species are protected under national and international laws, and two are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In June 2020, China increased protection for the native Chinese Pangolin ( Manis pentadactyla) to the highest level, which closed an important loophole for consumption.
Why are pangolins hunted?
They are hunted because of their skin, scales, meat , and some of their body parts are used in making traditional medicine. This has seen the number of pangolin in the world drop to a point where they are now under threat of becoming extinct, for all the eight species.
Pangolins are threatened by poaching ( for their meat and scales ) and heavy deforestation of their natural habitats, and are the most trafficked mammals in the world. Of the eight species of pangolin, four ( Phataginus tetradactyla, P. tricuspis, Smutsia gigantea, and S. temminckii) are listed as vulnerable,.
Is the pangolin population increasing or decreasing?
Little is known about this elusive creature, so it’s difficult to estimate wild population sizes. But given the demand for pangolin meat and scales, and the massive seizures of pangolin scales that occurred in 2019 and 2020, the population is believed to be in decline .
Is it illegal to buy pangolin scales?
Accordingly, pangolin scales are available on the open market in China.