{"id":34618,"date":"2017-02-17T17:34:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-17T17:34:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-09-22T15:43:44","modified_gmt":"2020-09-22T15:43:44","slug":"9618-five-facts-about-one-of-the-world-s-most-trafficked-mammals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/nature\/9618-five-facts-about-one-of-the-world-s-most-trafficked-mammals\/","title":{"rendered":"Five facts about one of the world\u2019s most trafficked mammals"},"content":{"rendered":"

The pangolin may not attract as much attention as elephants or tigers but these scaly-skinned creatures are the planet\u2019s most trafficked animal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each year, thousands of pangolins from Asia and, more recently, Africa are hunted for their meat, which is considered a delicacy in China and Vietnam. The scales are thought to cure a range of ailments from asthma to rheumatism and arthritis according to local traditional medicine.<\/p>\n

While eight pangolin species are protected under national and international laws (two are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species), enforcement remains a huge challenge.<\/p>\n

The World Wildlife Federation estimates that from 2011-2013, around 115,000-235,000 pangolins were killed, based on the number of seizures logged, and that this represents \u201conly the tip of the trade,\u201d according to the environmental group.<\/p>\n

In response to continued hunting of pangolins, particularly in Africa where new trade channels are opening up, numerous campaigns have been launched to raise awareness, including World Pangolin Day<\/a> on February 18.<\/p>\n