U.S. Moves to Protect Pangolins After 8.5 Million Poached

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Seven pangolin species just proposed for U.S. Endangered Species Act protection - but is it too late to save these unique creatures?

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Shocking numbers reveal over 8.5 MILLION pangolins were snatched from African forests in just seven years.

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When threatened, pangolins curl into a protective ball - a defense that makes them tragically easy for poachers to simply pick up and carry away.

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Despite international bans, the illegal trade continues - Nigerian authorities recently seized four tons of scales from 2,000 killed pangolins.

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Scientists confirm pangolin scales (made of the same material as your fingernails) have NO proven medicinal value, yet demand persists.

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With females birthing just one pup yearly, pangolin populations can't recover from massive poaching losses.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal would protect four Asian and three African pangolin species, with stronger penalties for traffickers.

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Conservation groups called the move "long overdue" after petitioning for protection a decade ago.

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Public comments on the proposed protection are open until August 18, 2025 - will enough people speak up to save the pangolin?

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[{"selector":"#anim-56fa6549-a6fd-4de0-8d97-c96f95baca24","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5395c280-47d3-41af-add3-b48b50b5805b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7af779b6-cef9-456b-8f4b-3a0662201219","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4bea7a33-9b60-4778-b314-b961a21b2c66","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c58b23e5-15e1-481f-a17a-295d00d9caff","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] California Confirms 3 New Wolf Packs, Totaling 10 Statewide Learn more