The Chinese government has removed pangolin scales from its 2020 list of approved ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine. The scales have for long been sold in traditional pharmacies in China as an ingredient for the treatment of a number of human diseases.

Poaching of pangolins for international wildlife trafficking is a major threat to the survival of the species in the wild. Pangolin meat and scales are on high demand in parts of Asia which led to severe depletion of pangolin populations in Asia. As pangolin populations in Asia declined, there emerged an increase in the trafficking of pangolins from Africa. In 2019 alone, over 130 tons of pangolin scales, representing over 400,000 African pangolins were seized globally according to Wildaid.

The decision by China is a critical step towards saving pangolins. It comes days after China announced stricter protection of pangolins by raising them from the list of second-level protected species to that of top-level.

We hope the move will help to end the global illegal trade in pangolins.