Fauna in decline: Plight of the pangolin

In their Review “Defaunation in the Anthropocene” (special section on Vanishing Fauna, 25 July, p. [401][1]), R. Dirzo et al. discuss the human impacts on species decline and extinction. The pangolin is a good example of these anthropogenic effects. On 12 May, about 4 tons of smuggled frozen pangolins were seized in Zhuhai, China, making the country's largest smuggling case of a national protected animal in the past several years ([ 1 ][2]). The pangolin turns out to be “the most traded” wild animal, due to the large demand for its scale and flesh ([ 2 ][3]). According to the Chinese Medicinal Pharmacopoeia , roasted pangolin scale can be used for detoxification, draining pus, attenuating palsy, and stimulating lactation ([ 3 ][4]). Since the 1990s, the price of pangolin scale has been continuously climbing, rising from £8.50 to £360 per kilogram ([ 4 ][5]). In even greater demand is the pangolin meat, despite the risk of infection associated with eating it. The excessive consumption has been catastrophic for the species, as the pangolin typically produces only one offspring per year. ![Figure][6] Confiscated pangolin scales. PHOTO: ALEX HOFFORD/EPA/NEWSCOM In China, pangolins are facing the risk of extinction due to human consumption, which will have devastating effects on pangolins in other areas of the world. Similar to its cracking down on the smuggling of ivory and rhinoceros horn, the Chinese government should strengthen enforcement against illegal pangolin transactions and ban the wild animal markets. Further publicity and education are also called for to put an end to the chase for “wildlife delicacies.” Finally, developing herbal alternatives to pangolin scales would benefit the population. These actions may be crucial to prevent the extinction of the pangolin in China. 1. [↵][7] “Zhuhai border seized about four tons of smuggled frozen pangolins,” Xinhua Net (13 May 2013); [in Chinese]. 2. [↵][8] “The most traded wild mammal—the Pangolin—is being eaten to extinction,” IUCN Net (22 July 2013); [www.iucn.org/news\_homepage/news\_by_date/?13434/The-most-traded-wild-mammal\---|the-Pangolin\---|isbeing-eaten-to-extinction][9]. 3. [↵][10] 1. S. Z. Li, 2. B. C. G. Mu , Compendium of Materia Medica (People's Medical Publishing House, Beijing, 1982). 4. [↵][11] 1. Z.-M. Zhou, 2. Y. Zhou, 3. C. Newman, 4. D. W. Macdonald , Front. Ecol. Environ. 12, 97 (2014). [OpenUrl][12][CrossRef][13] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1251817 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #ref-3 [5]: #ref-4 [6]: pending:yes [7]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [8]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [9]: http://www.iucn.org/news_homepage/news_by_date/?13434/The-most-traded-wild-mammal---the-Pangolin---isbeing-eaten-to-extinction [10]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text" [11]: #xref-ref-4-1 "View reference 4 in text" [12]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DFront.%2BEcol.%2BEnviron.%26rft.volume%253D12%26rft.spage%253D97%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1890%252F14.WB.001%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [13]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1890/14.WB.001&link_type=DOI