Pangolins are unique mammals that have an extremely important ecological role. Just one of these scale-covered anteaters consumes up to 70 million insects per year, providing millions of dollars of free pest control. Pangolins also improve soil quality as a result of their burrowing behavior. Tragically, these incredible animals are being driven to extinction by the illegal wildlife trade. Pangolins are amongst the most trafficked mammals in Asia. These rare creatures have been illegally hunted to near extinction, all for the supposed medicinal properties of their scales. Pangolin scales are in high demand in traditional Chinese and Vietnamese medicine. They are used to treat a variety of conditions from asthma to reproductive problems and cancer - despite a total lack of evidence regarding their effectiveness. In an attempt to save pangolins from extinction, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) provided the strictest possible protections for all species of pangolins.
Despite ongoing worldwide efforts to save pangolins, more than 10,000 continue to be killed illegally every year. In 2016, Chinese officials seized more than three tons of body parts of dead pangolins; experts estimate that up to 7,500 pangolins were killed for this one shipment of scales and that its street value was worth more than $2 million. Thousands of dead pangolins have been seized in Vietnam and Indonesia as well.