Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in parts of Asia and now Africa. They are hunted for their scales, used in traditional Asian medicine, and on the thriving black market as an edible delicacy. The pangolin is a shy, slow-moving creature, making them easy targets for poachers.

There are eight species of pangolin, four in Asia and four in Africa, and all off them are protected under national and international law. Yet the poaching continues at an alarming rate. More than one million pangolins were trafficked in the last ten years, numbers that threaten the long-term survival of the entire species.