The world’s most trafficked mammal is the pangolin. US officials say it’s an endangered species

U.S. officials proposed Monday to protect the pangolin, a small, nocturnal mammal covered in scales, under the Endangered Species Act.

The pangolin is “the most trafficked mammal in the world” in large part for its scales, used in traditional Chinese medicine, and meat, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is looking to add protections for four species of the pangolin native to Asia – including the Chinese, Indian, Sunda and Philippine pangolin – and three species native to Africa, including the white-bellied, black-bellied and giant pangolin. Seven species are in danger of extinction, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

An eighth species from Africa, the Temminck’s ground pangolin, is already protected by the law. Scientists also say two more species of the mammal may exist.

The protections were signed into law in 1973 with bipartisan support and are key for preserving global biodiversity and keeping iconic types of plants and animals, such as the bald eagle, from dying out. The Endangered Species Act protects over 2,000 U.S. and foreign species.

Conservation and environmental groups say habitat loss from climate change is just one reason the act is especially critical today.

The endangerment listing, once finalized, would help strengthen trade and import restrictions of pangolin parts in the U.S., except in the case of scientific or other conservation purposes, according to the Center.

It is illegal to trade them; the pangolin received certain commercial trade protections under the 2017 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. But tons of poached scales representing thousands of pangolin have been found by authorities around the world in recent years.

“I’m delighted the United States is doing its part to save these adorably odd creatures,” Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “Pangolins are on the razor’s edge of extinction, and we need to completely shut down any U.S. market for their scales. There’s no good reason for anybody to ingest any part of a pangolin.”

The pangolin eats insects and rolls into a ball when threatened by predators. The Fish and Wildlife Service said pangolin populations have declined due to targeting by poachers and criminal activity, noting “proceeds from the illicit sale of pangolins and other imperiled species often fund serious crimes, including drug and arms trafficking.”

While the act requires endangered species listing regardless of their origin, the designation could also assist in prosecuting smugglers violating the protections.

Advocates, including from the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other national and international groups, have for years petitioned to list the pangolin. In 2020, these organizations and the Fish and Wildlife Service signed an agreement to enforce listing deadlines.

Polar bears, as well as penguins – similarly not found in the U.S. – have also been in discussions for listing over the years.

Monday’s move comes despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to weaken the act, aligning with ongoing conservative criticism that it stifles economic growth. Trump’s executive order declaring an “energy emergency” in the U.S. says the act can’t stand in the way of energy development, signaling that protections could be rolled back.

The Trump administration already plans to cut habitat protections for endangered and threatened species, in an effort to redefine the long-standing meaning of what constitutes “harm.”

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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.