On the brink of extinction

One of the last surviving species of scaly mammals in the world, the pangolin has existed on Earth for at least 50 million years, primarily inhabiting tropical and subtropical regions in Africa and Asia. Among the nine known pangolin species, the Chinese pangolin is one of the most critically threatened.

Since 2014, it has been classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and in 2020 China elevated its protection status from second-class to a first-class protected wild animal.

The Chinese pangolin was once widely distributed across southern areas of China, including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and in neighboring countries. Due to the demand for traditional Chinese medicine and wildlife products, China was once one of the largest consumer markets for pangolins and their products, according to a report in Southern Metropolis Daily.

Statistics from medicinal herb departments show that in the 1960s, China captured 150,000 to 160,000 pangolins annually. Due to the combined pressures from long-term illegal hunting, wildlife trafficking and deforestation, the population of Chinese pangolins has rapidly declined.

According to a survey by the former State Forestry Administration, around 64,000 Chinese pangolins existed in the wild around 1998, whereas data from 2008 indicated a population range of approximately 25,000 to 50,000 individuals.

Over the past few decades, the population and habitats of Chinese pangolins have rapidly diminished, making it challenging to observe wild populations even in their original habitats. Records of the animal in Shenzhen have been scarce, especially since the beginning of the 21st century when urbanization accelerated, causing pangolins to virtually disappear.