Market Demands

Pangolins are the best example of how false or misguided beliefs about an animal can drive a whole species to extinction. In the pangolins’ case, their demise will be thanks to the myths of their supposed magical scales and meat, which are believed to have special medicinal properties.

Pangolin foetus soup is believed to increase virility

Pangolin meat is widely regarded in China as a delicacy that provides many health benefits. Whole pangolins are soaked in wine, which is later drunk as a form of medicine, while pangolin blood is thought to be useful in countering fever, brain diseases and nosebleed. Pangolin scales are also widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and openly sold in the market. They are purported to cure almost anything and everything, from allergies, rheumatic aches and inflammation to cancer. Additionally, some people are also convinced that when worn on the body as an accessory, they have protective powers and prevent bad spirits from harming the individual. Even pangolin fetuses are not spared. They are used as an aphrodisiac, and recommended for increasing virility when cooked in soup.

Pangolin wine

Such beliefs about the pangolins are totally unfounded. There has been absolutely no scientific proof whatsoever that consuming any part of this animal will benefit us medically. For example, pangolin scales are made up of Keratin, a protein that can be found in our hair and our fingernails. So consuming pangolin scales is very much equivalent to crushing our nails and eating them.  It is truly sad to think about so many pangolins being slaughtered for what is essentially nothing.

To a lesser extent, Pangolins are traded for their skin to produce leather fashion accessories like bags and wallets. There are also stuffed pangolins sold for decorative or ornamental purposes.

Seized pangolin meat and scales

With demand comes supply, especially when people are willing to pay huge amounts of money to obtain the goods. Although the Chinese have been consuming pangolins for hundreds of years, the recent huge rise in population and spending power means the demand for the animals has exploded, and the pangolin populations can no longer keep up. It does not help that consuming exotic wildlife as a show of status and wealth is deeply rooted in the Chinese culture. Rich business men are willing to pay up to $100/kilogram of pangolin meat. Evidently pangolin trading is a very profitable business, and as long as there is someone looking to buy a product, there will be another willing to provide it.