Pangolin Protection: The Urgent Fight Against Wildlife Trafficking

Pangolin,And Pangolin Scales


By Raymond Dingana

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world. Their meat and scales are in high demand, leading to their status as an endangered species. People hunt pangolins for their meat, which is a delicacy in countries like China and Vietnam. They also use pangolin scales to make products such as shoes, leather boots, and accessories.

Pangolin meat is seen as a luxury item and a symbol of status in some restaurants in Vietnam and China. Their skins are made into leather goods like boots, bags, and belts, mostly in the Americas.

Furthermore, many communities use pangolin products in traditional medicine to treat various ailments like rheumatism, asthma, skin diseases, and poor blood circulation.

Since 2017, international trade in all pangolin species has been banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), giving them high protection. However, illegal trade continues, with an estimated one million pangolins trafficked in the last decade.

 

Pangolin Conservation Efforts in Cameroon

Pangolins are facing extinction, prompting action from the Cameroonian government. The ministries of Environment, Nature Protection, and Forestry, along with the Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA), are working to protect pangolins.

On October 22, 2025, two people appeared in court for illegally possessing giant pangolin scales. They were arrested on July 3 while trying to sell the scales in Tibati during a crackdown by wildlife officials and the police, assisted by LAGA. The suspects were found with nearly 90 kg of scales hidden in bags near a bus station. Sources say they are part of a larger wildlife trafficking network involving poachers from surrounding villages.

The suspects are now in Tibati prison awaiting their trial. This network includes hunters, bike riders, and public transport drivers, who sell the scales in towns like Yoko, Ntui, Yaounde, Douala, and Ngaoundere.

Cameroon’s Law No. 2024/008, established on July 24, 2024, shows the country’s commitment to protecting biodiversity and fighting against poaching. Under this law, possessing pangolin scales is treated as if a person has killed a pangolin, leading to fines of 20 to 50 million and/or prison sentences of 15 to 20 years. Giant pangolins are fully protected in the country.


Why Pangolins Must Be Protected

According to Nature Conservancy,www.nature.org , Pangolins are known as the guardians of the forest, helping to protect against termite destruction. As small as they appear, an adult pangolin weighing 6.6 pounds can consume more than 0.66 pounds of termites in one meal. Thanks to their big appetite, one pangolin can protect an area as large as 31 football fields (41 acres) from termite destruction.

To pangolin Project, Pangolinproject.org, by monitoring these indicator species we get a gauge of the health of the environment in which many live. Protecting pangolins also safeguards the biodiversity of their habitats, which are rich ecosystems crucial for maintaining healthy flora, insect life, and soils. These elements are vital for a balanced ecosystem, which in turn supports human health, food security, and mitigates the impacts of climate change.

Drayinfos.com



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