US officials have proposed extending Endangered Species Act protections to the pangolin, a scaled mammal dubbed the "most trafficked mammal in the world".
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking to include four Asian species – the Chinese, Indian, Sunda, and Philippine pangolins – and three African species: the white-bellied, black-bellied, and giant pangolins.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, seven pangolin species are nearing extinction. The World Wildlife Fund notes the animals are heavily trafficked, largely due to demand for their scales in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as their meat.
The Temminck’s ground pangolin, another African species, is already protected under the law. Scientists believe there may be two additional pangolin species yet to be recognised.
The Endangered Species Act, signed into law in 1973 with bipartisan backing, is vital for preserving global biodiversity and preventing the extinction of iconic species. It currently protects over 2,000 species.
Conservation and environmental groups say habitat loss from climate change is just one reason the act is especially critical today.
The endangerment listing, once finalised, would help strengthen trade and import restrictions of pangolin parts in the US, except in the case of scientific or other conservation purposes, according to the Center.
It is illegal to trade them; the pangolin received certain commercial trade protections under the 2017 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
But tons of poached scales representing thousands of pangolin have been found by authorities around the world in recent years.
“I’m delighted the United States is doing its part to save these adorably odd creatures,” Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.
“Pangolins are on the razor’s edge of extinction, and we need to completely shut down any US market for their scales. There’s no good reason for anybody to ingest any part of a pangolin.”
The pangolin eats insects and rolls into a ball when threatened by predators. The Fish and Wildlife Service said pangolin populations have declined due to targeting by poachers and criminal activity, noting “proceeds from the illicit sale of pangolins and other imperiled species often fund serious crimes, including drug and arms trafficking.”
While the act requires endangered species listing regardless of their origin, the designation could also assist in prosecuting smugglers violating the protections.
Advocates, including from the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other national and international groups, have for years petitioned to list the pangolin. In 2020, these organisations and the Fish and Wildlife Service signed an agreement to enforce listing deadlines.
Polar bears, as well as penguins — similarly not found in the US — have also been in discussions for listing over the years.
Monday's move comes despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to weaken the act, aligning with ongoing conservative criticism that it stifles economic growth. Trump's executive order declaring an “energy emergency” in the US says the act can't stand in the way of energy development, signaling that protections could be rolled back.
The Trump administration already plans to cut habitat protections for endangered and threatened species, in an effort to redefine the long-standing meaning of what constitutes “harm."
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