The pangolin, or scaly anteater, has the heartbreaking “honor” of being the most illegally trafficked endangered mammal on the planet. The voracious appetite of the Asian traditional medicine market is rapidly pushing this little-known animal towards extinction.
This true devastation of the trade has been exposed with new video footage showing the brutal capture and slaughter of a wild pangolin in the Indian State of Assam.
Filmed by an undercover researcher working for World Animal Protection (WAP) and the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit for the University of Oxford (WildCRU), the harrowing footage shows a terrified pangolin attempting to hide from hunters in a tree hollow, as the men first try to chop into the crevice before using fire to smoke the animal out.
Once they have the pangolin back in their hut, the hunters repeatedly hack at it with a large machete, inflicting blow after blow on the weakened animal. It’s a vicious act, ending with the pangolin lowered into a cauldron of boiling water — possibly still alive.
Image Credit: Neil D’Cruze, World Animal Protection
“Suffocated with smoke, beaten and boiled alive – this is a terrifying ordeal and pangolins clearly suffer immensely,” said Dr. Neil D’Cruze, Global Wildlife Advisor and lead researcher at World Animal Protection. “This footage shines a spotlight on how truly shocking the practice of hunting pangolins truly is. Not only is this a major conservation issue, it’s a devastating animal welfare concern. If we want to protect pangolins from pain and suffering in the countries they come from, we need to tackle the illegal poaching trade.”
Although it is unknown exactly how many pangolins remain in the wild, organizations like TRAFFIC say they are disappearing throughout their natural ranges, primarily driven by the demand for the scales and other body parts in China. WAP estimates that more than one million animals were taken from the wild between 2000 and 2013.
This two-year investigation focused on pangolin hunting in India, where very little research previously existed. It found that hunters in Assam have started to specifically hunt pangolins, as one animal can fetch the equivalent of four month’s salary.
Oh my God! When will people stop thinking of atrocious things to do to animals? Why? Just why? Please stop this. Leave wild animals alone.
This is not 100% China’s fault they play a large role but there are many other countries involved. The Chinese buy these animals and have them imported. Meaning other countries are catching and killing them. For instance India is doing so because they need money. People need to realize the real problem which is greed. Money rules the world. China isn’t even the ones killing these animals there just buying them to use them for their medicine rituals. If countries like India would be less greedy for money and stop poaching these animals. China wouldn’t even have a way to get these animals. And by the way thank you Neil D’Cruze for your work if it werent for you people wouldn’t know about these horrific incidents. And to most of the people who commented stop and and think to yourself “do I actually understand the problem or should I just comment and judge people because I think I do? I’ll be honest I never researched this or even knew about it but after READING the article I had some knowledge about the problem and not once did I infer any information not stated. So stop making up stuff when your barely understand the facts.
If Chinese didn’t think that animal parts help with sexual performance, or medicine, there wouldn’t be the huge demand for all these poor animals and the trade would slow down. They are creating the demand, even if they are not trapping the animals themselves.
What is wrong with these people?? Anyone who can do this to ANYTHING… has a hardened angry heart. My heart breaks for them. Signed
These Innocent animals are NOTTT HERE TOKILL . THEY AREHEREFOR OUT ENJOYMENT . THEY FEEL PAINJUST LIKE WE DO . TJESE ANIMALS ARE SMART
THEY GIBE US SO MUZT LOVE . WHY DOES CHINA THINK THEY WILL HAVEBETTER SEX AND THE MEAT WILLBE MORE TE DER ??? THAT IS A CROCK OF SHITTT !!! YOU DAMN CHINAMEN NEED TO USE WHAT YOUHAVE AND STOP KILLING THESE POOR ANIMALS. YOUMEN AAND WOMEN ARE COWARDS !!! PI K ONMEN TO TORTIRE , SEEHOW FAR YOU GWT TRYING THAT , SICKOS …STOPPP KILLING AND TORTURING THESE POOR ANIMALS. YOUR COUNTRY HAS GOT A BAD REPUTATION FOR ABUSING THESE ANIMALS . YOU ALLARE COWARDS TO DO THIS !!!
PLEASE STOPPP HIRTING AND KILLING THESE INNOCENT animals !!!
Chinese medicine is a myth! It does absolutely nothing but cause animal suffering! Scientists have proved it! It’s a rip off to the Chinese people! Plant based diets heal and protect the body! NOT animal parts!
The Chinese are ignorant & cruel people inflicting pain is part of their pleasure , sickening appalling barbaric cruelty !
Heartbreaking. A beautiful and innocent animal butchered for vanity. How mindless and brutal and uncaring. How sickening. We can choose good over evil. We have the capacity to think, clearly many who are involved in exploitation do not think.
It comes down to the caring who see animals as God’s creations and treat them with respect to show that they really are concerned about wildlife to think, and to do something. We will be blessed for our efforts, and I pray that every effort made to stop this cruel and relentless trade will go a long way to bringing the numbers back up and let them live in peace. They have done us no harm.
Please is there no way one can teach the Chinese to respect ALL living creatures!! What is their problem? They seem to thrive on torturing all animals that comes their way !!!
Animals are sentient beings who feel pain just like humans do. They are not placed on this planet to destroy or mame. They are here just as we humans are. It is not our right or our place to kill, mame or experiment upon. Love and care for them please.
Where’s the scientific proof that these creatures cure or heal?
There is no scientific proof, Linda. Read Andrew’s comment below…it basically says it all.
These disgusting barbaric countries simply do not care no matter how many petitions people sign. The truth is they have no respect for life, human or animal.
Eating a pangolin or a bear or a tiger isn’t going to make their 1″ penis any longer. What the f*ck is wrong with these people.
I AGREE Andrew !!!
The abuse and cruelty that comes out of China on innocent animals is shameful, and disgusting.
Leave it to the Chinese again and their disgusting eating habits and so called medicinal needs.
How unconscionably & depravedly cruel to inflict such torture on an animal, on another living being — where is your head? — where is your rationality? — where is your compassion? — where is your morality? — you have much to choose from on your menu — WHY the brutal abuse, suffering and death to an animal? — HAVE YOU NO SHAME? — ARE YOU NOT EMBARRASSED? — WHERE IS YOUR COURAGE? — How do you justify such heinous evil acts on an innocent and vulnerable animal — WHO ARE YOU to think the pangolin deserves such horror?
Please could you tell me what is being done to protect pangolin? Thank you
This is shameful and repugnan. What kind of mentality does this kind of thing?
What is wrong with the Chinese and their voracious appetite for eating and using tortured animals. They have less “humanity” than the animals they persecute sand abuse. If it comes to a choice between the animals or the death of the sadists I would choose the four legged over the two legged variety any day. Sadists do not deserve to live on this planet, they have no value. Get rid of them.
I,m sure that as China makes a demand for this poor creaure amongst others then Africa should send them an Invoice for the protection of said animals, If they dont pay then the international communities should make severe sanctions against them. If theres no demand then supply will dry up.
Sorry, other countries these animals live in should also do the same not just Africa.
The person who filmed this animal being tortured is just as sick as the killers. WTF is wrong with the human race!
Deplorable
So SAD for these INNOCENT ANIMALS. The human race is getting worse. GREED DISGUSTING SICKENING INGRATES.
This is sickening and needs to stop. Hack and boil the poachers alive!!
BARBARIC AND SADISTIC! HUMAN MONSTERS!
BARBARIC AND SADISTIC! HUMAN MONSTERS!
This is sickening! And the bloody Chinese need to take responsibility for this by maintaining this idea of ‘traditional medicine’. When will China emerge from the Stone Age and realise that ‘traditional medicine’ is literally killing our wildlife and our planet. Petition President Xi Jinping as he seems to be the only person who could influence the Chinese to cease this ridiculous idea of ‘traditional medicine’ and help end the needless slaughter of animals.
You are correct. The Chinese populace does not care. However the president could influence public opinion. I am horrified for the poor pangolin.
Exactly worded