Legal Regulations

All 8 species of Asian and African pangolins are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which means that trade is regulated and monitored under CITES, and permits are required from exporting countries for any trade activity. To issue a permit, the exporting country must determine that this activity will have no detriment to the wild population. In 2000, a zero export quota was passed for the four Asian species, which bans all commercial trade in these species. However, other purposes (scientific, research, etc.) can still be authorized by permit. Pangolins are also protected in their range states by domestic wildlife laws.

Training Rangers and Wildlife Authorities

Efforts have been made to increase the capacity of rangers and wildlife authorities in the areas where pangolins are being hunted by providing them with tools and resources to crack down on the trade.

Improving Biological Knowledge Base

There are still many mysteries about pangolins’ behaviour because they are highly secretive, solitary, and nocturnal. For example, there are no detailed studies on the population levels, ecology, or life history of the Malayan pangolin. There is a need to expand knowledge of pangolins to better inform conservation efforts. Current efforts made include studying the main threats to Asian pangolins such as hunting for trade and habitat loss, and building a database of DNA samples from pangolin species across Asia.

Education

Harapan Rainforest in Sumatra has a program of site protection and broad biodiversity surveys, while and they are also developing programs with a strong focus on raising community awareness for pangolin conservation.

Rescue and Rehabilitation Centres

Live pangolins are constantly seized from illegal traders, hence it is necessary to develop ways that they can be treated and rehabilitated in captivity before they are returned to their native habitats.

Partnerships

There was a Singapore Workshop on Trade and Conservation of Pangolins Native to South and Southeast Asia held between the 30th of June and the 2nd of July 2008 at the Singapore Zoo to raise awareness of the magnitude of the pangolin trade and discuss how to combat the illegal trade. The outputs included a list of recommendations and follow-up actions to be circulated among relevant organizations, which would assist enforcement agencies in efforts to halt this illegal trade. Many other partnerships and collaborations have been created by organisations passionate about pangolin conservation and these can be found under the ‘How Can One Help’ tab.