I knew pangolins existed.

I knew they were unusual. I knew they were covered in scales. I knew they looked like something that belonged in a prehistoric forest rather than the modern world, but I did not really know their story.

That changed when I watched Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey on Netflix. A rescued baby pangolin named Kulu introduced me to an animal I had known about but never truly understood. I watched the documentary once. Then again that same evening. Then again the following night.

Somewhere between those viewings, a strange little creature with scales became something much more important — a reminder that some of the most extraordinary animals on Earth are also some of the ones most in need of our attention.

Meet the Pangolin: Nature’s Living Armour

Pangolins are unlike any other mammal on Earth. They are the only mammals completely covered in protective scales. These scales are made of keratin — the same material found in human hair and fingernails. They look almost mythical: part anteater, part pinecone, part tiny dragon, but beneath their unusual appearance is a gentle, highly specialised animal.

Pangolins have powerful claws for digging, incredibly long tongues for reaching into ant and termite colonies, and a diet almost entirely made up of insects. They spend much of their lives quietly searching for food, avoiding attention, and moving through forests and grasslands.

When threatened, they have a remarkable defence. They curl into a tight ball, allowing their overlapping scales to protect the vulnerable parts of their body. It is an incredible adaptation. Unfortunately, it was an adaptation designed for a world before humans became their greatest threat.

The World’s Most Trafficked Mammal

Pangolins face a devastating reality: they are considered the most trafficked mammals in the world.

All eight pangolin species face serious conservation concerns, and the threats are not limited to one country or continent. Pangolins are found across parts of Asia and Africa, where they are targeted by illegal wildlife trafficking networks. Their scales are the main reason they are hunted.

Despite traditional beliefs claiming pangolin scales have medicinal properties, the scales are simply keratin and there is no scientific evidence that they provide the healing benefits often claimed. Their meat is also considered a luxury in some markets, adding another pressure on already vulnerable populations.

The tragedy is that the very feature that makes pangolins so fascinating — their beautiful armour — has also made them a target.

Why Pangolins Cannot Defend Themselves Against Us

A lion or leopard cannot easily break through a curled pangolin’s armour. A human can simply pick it up.

The defence that protected pangolins from natural predators for millions of years offers little protection against poachers. This is one of the saddest examples of how quickly human activity can overwhelm natural adaptations.

An animal can spend millions of years becoming perfectly suited to survive in its environment, only to encounter a threat it never evolved to understand. Us.

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

One of the most difficult things about saving pangolins is knowing exactly how many remain. These shy, nocturnal animals are extremely difficult to count in the wild, which means there is no reliable global population estimate. However, conservation scientists agree on one thing: all eight pangolin species are under serious pressure, with threats including habitat loss and illegal exploitation. 

What we do know is the scale of the trafficking.
Between 2000 and 2019, researchers estimated that the equivalent of approximately 895,000 pangolins were involved in documented global trafficking incidents. Because this figure is based on known seizures and recorded cases, the true number is likely higher. 

In 2019 alone, authorities intercepted more than 128 tonnes of pangolin scales and meat in illegal trade seizures worldwide — a record level at the time. These numbers represent only what was discovered. Wildlife trafficking is, by its nature, hidden. Every seizure represents only a fraction of the animals targeted.

In 2016, all eight pangolin species received the highest level of international protection under CITES, banning international commercial trade in wild-caught pangolins.

Conservation: A Story Still Being Written

The situation is serious, but the story is not hopeless.

International protections have been strengthened through agreements such as CITES, which regulates international trade in threatened species. Conservation organisations, researchers, rescue centres, and law-enforcement agencies around the world are working to reduce trafficking and protect remaining populations.

The IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group works with scientists and conservation partners to better understand pangolin populations, threats, and the actions needed to protect all eight species.

Rescue and rehabilitation programmes also play an important role, helping individual pangolins recover from trafficking and, where possible, return to the wild. This is where stories like Kulu’s matter. Because conservation is not only about statistics. It is about individual lives.

Why Stories Matter

Before watching Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey, I knew almost nothing about these animals. Now I cannot look at a pangolin without thinking about the incredible story behind those scales, the people fighting to protect them, and the question of whether future generations will get the chance to know them at all.

That is why storytelling matters. Many conservation victories begin with a simple moment:

Someone sees an animal.

They become curious.

They learn its story.

And then they care.

How You Can Help

One of the simplest ways to help pangolins is to make sure their story is known. Support reputable conservation organisations working to protect pangolins, share accurate information, and help replace myths about wildlife with understanding.

Conservation begins when overlooked creatures are no longer overlooked. The world does not need fewer strange, wonderful animals. It needs more people willing to notice them. Somewhere, in the quiet forests and grasslands of Africa and Asia, a little armoured mammal is still waiting for us to choose a future where it belongs.

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References

Netflix. Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey (2025).
https://www.netflix.com/title/81708252

IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group. Pangolin Conservation and Research.
https://iucn.org/our-union/commissions/group/iucn-ssc-pangolin-specialist-group

Associated Press. The world's most trafficked mammal is the pangolin.
https://apnews.com/article/7e74f6b423a76a8b12495ea258ed27fd

CITES. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
https://cites.org

World Wildlife Fund. Pangolin Species Information and Conservation.
https://www.worldwildlife.org

Author’s Note

This article combines documented scientific information with personal reflection. The author’s interest in pangolins was inspired by the documentary Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey, which introduced the story of one rescued pangolin and sparked a deeper interest in the species and the conservation challenges they face.