They curl into a ball when threatened—a defense that makes them easy prey. In Nigeria’s forests, pangolins are not vanishing primarily for the black-market scales trade. They’re disappearing because people love the way they taste.
Key Points at a Glance
- 98% of pangolins in Nigeria are hunted for their meat, not scales
- Pangolin meat is among the most prized wild foods in West Africa
- Most scales from hunted animals are discarded, not exported
- New conservation strategies are needed, focused on local food practices
Pangolins are the world’s most trafficked wild mammal, known globally for their scaly armor and ties to illegal trade. Yet in West Africa, a surprising new study by University of Cambridge scientists suggests that the real threat isn’t global smuggling networks—it’s what’s cooking in local pots.
According to the study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, around 98% of pangolins hunted in Nigeria’s Cross River region are killed for their meat. Despite global outrage over pangolin trafficking, two-thirds of the scales from these animals are simply discarded, while the rest are sold locally for far less than the meat itself.
“The assumption has long been that Asia’s appetite for pangolin scales is what’s driving their extinction in Africa,” said Dr. Charles Emogor, lead author and Gates Cambridge Scholar. “But what we found on the ground tells a very different story.”
Between 2020 and 2023, Emogor and colleagues surveyed over 800 hunters and traders across 33 Nigerian communities. Their findings paint a clear picture: pangolins are caught during general hunting trips, often picked up by hand, and mostly consumed by the hunters or sold locally for food.
“Pangolins aren’t being sought out—they’re victims of opportunistic hunting,” said Emogor. The study estimates that about 21,000 pangolins are killed annually in just one forest region. And for many hunters, the animals are simply part of the protein landscape.
In a palatability ranking involving nearly 100 animals, the three native pangolin species scored highest—more desirable even than beef, chicken, or antelope. The giant pangolin topped the chart, reflecting its local status as a delicacy, especially valued for pregnant women.
While scales are often the focus of international seizures—Nigeria has become the largest hub for illegal scale exports to Asia—the study shows that only a minority of pangolins are caught with trade in mind. Emogor’s past research found over 800,000 pangolins were killed for scales seized between 2010 and 2021, yet that number pales in comparison to the ongoing local demand for meat.
“This is a lethal mix: they’re easy to catch, slow to breed, tasty, and mythologized as medicinal,” said Emogor. “And now their forests are disappearing, too.”
In response, Emogor founded Pangolino—a grassroots conservation network. In four communities, his team is piloting local by-laws banning pangolin hunting, with financial rewards for compliance. His approach emphasizes community-based conservation, recognizing that cheaper and more culturally sensitive solutions may prove more effective than international enforcement alone.
Co-author Prof. Andrew Balmford stresses the importance of such field-driven insight. “We can’t create good conservation policy if we misunderstand the motivations behind the threats,” he said. The study suggests anti-poaching patrols and food security programs tailored to local needs may have greater impact than simply cracking down on the global scales trade.
The implications reach beyond Nigeria. Patterns in countries like Cameroon and Gabon echo these findings, suggesting that across West Africa, pangolins are disappearing one meal at a time.
For Emogor, the fight is personal. Raised near Nigeria’s Cross River National Park, he never saw a live pangolin until his twenties. “Losing the pangolin means losing 80 million years of evolutionary history,” he said. “These are the only mammals with scales. Their ancestors roamed with the dinosaurs.”
Source: University of Cambridge
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