Protecting India's pangolins: Beyond the armor

• Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammals globally, with approximately one individual taken every five minutes.
• India hosts two species: the Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).
• Despite having no medicinal value, scales—composed of the same protein as human fingernails—are highly sought after for traditional "cures," fueling a massive illegal trade.
• Wildlife enforcement in India is shifting from physical territory to digital, targeting online marketplaces and social media-based trafficking networks.

Scale of Trafficking

• Between 2009 and 2017, nearly 6,000 pangolins were poached in India.
• A December 2025 CITES report estimated over 553,000 pangolins were poached globally between 2016 and 2024.
• Trafficking syndicates often use organized, international routes, with India serving as a major supplier to markets in Vietnam and China.

Enforcement and Technology

• The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) collaborates with agencies like the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to conduct covert operations.
• Between 2015 and 2026, over 500 enforcement operations in India led to the seizure of roughly 2,000–3,000 pangolins or their equivalent in scales.
• The "Cyber HAWK" mobile app, developed with NTT Data, empowers citizen volunteers to report online wildlife crime; it has recorded 784 cases to date.

Community-Led Conservation

• In Manipur, India, indigenous communities (including Tangkhul, Poumai, and Sangtam Naga) have banned the hunting and sale of pangolins across 300+ villages.
• Local engagement, such as the "Pangolin Cup," leverages cultural events and church influence to replace poaching with community-led protection, successfully disrupting border-adjacent trafficking routes.