Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon and Nigeria are increasingly emerging as key source and transit hubs in the global trade of pangolin, the world’s most trafficked wild mammal, according to new warnings from World Animal Protection.
As the world marks World Pangolin Day 2026, the organisation says trafficking networks operating across East, West and Central Africa are intensifying pressure on already declining pangolin populations, threatening biodiversity and exposing communities to wider public health risks.
Over One Million Pangolins Lost
Global seizure records and trade monitoring data paint a grim picture of the scale of the crisis. More than one million pangolins were killed and traded between 2000 and 2013.
Between 2010 and 2015 alone, authorities documented 1,270 seizures across 67 countries and territories, involving an estimated 120 tonnes of pangolin body parts and over 46,000 individual carcasses.
All eight pangolin species, four in Asia and four in Africa, are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which prohibits international commercial trade.
Africa’s Growing Role in Global Networks
Despite lacking scientifically proven medicinal value, pangolin scales continue to drive organised transnational trafficking networks.
Across Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon and Nigeria have increasingly featured in international enforcement reports as source and transit points in global smuggling routes supplying overseas markets, particularly in Asia.
Edith Kabesiime, Wildlife Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection, warned that the scale of exploitation remains alarming.
“Pangolins are being hunted, trafficked and exploited at alarming levels. But there is hope. If we strengthen enforcement, empower communities, and reduce consumer demand for pangolin meat and scales, we can turn the tide,” she said.
Ecological and Public Health Risks
The loss of pangolins carries far-reaching ecological consequences. A single pangolin consumes thousands of ants and termites daily, playing a crucial role in regulating insect populations and maintaining ecosystem balance.
However, their slow reproductive rate makes recovery extremely difficult once populations decline. Conservationists warn that continued trafficking could permanently disrupt fragile ecosystems across parts of Africa.
Beyond biodiversity loss, wildlife trafficking also increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, heightening broader public health concerns.
New Initiative Launched on World Pangolin Day
To mark World Pangolin Day 2026, World Animal Protection has launched a long-term initiative anchored on three pillars:
Generating scientific evidence to inform stronger wildlife protection policies
Supporting community-led pangolin conservation efforts
Engaging consumer countries in Asia to strengthen enforcement and reduce demand for pangolin scales
The organisation says coordinated international action, stronger law enforcement, and sustained public awareness will be critical in reversing the decline of one of the planet’s most threatened mammals.