Pangolins - Issues

Pangolins have very few predators, but one of the few that causes the most harm is humans. We humans have made pangolins one of the most illegally traded wild animals, outshining tigers, rhinos, and elephants combined. One of the main reasons pangolins are going extinct so fast is poaching and trafficking. The reason they are poached and traded so much is because of their scales, meat, and leather. It is believed that the scales can help with different ailments such as keeping lions away, healing cattle, keeping witchcraft away, and being used in medicine. Luckily, a law was passed in 2020 to help combat trafficking of this animal. The passing of this law will hopefully help the pangolin population more, as there have been reports from 2019 of 195,000 pangolins trafficked for their scales, along with reports of one million poached in the last decade. Along with the scales, the leather is used to make different types of apparel, such as boots, bags, and belts

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