Chinese tree pangolin population rebounds in Guangdong after years of decline
For the world’s most trafficked wild animal, the outlook in China is improving. The Chinese tree pangolin, listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, is showing steady population growth six years after China placed it under first-class national protection.
In Guangdong Province, the wild population is now estimated at 1,778. Across its distribution areas, that’s 0.33 pangolins per square kilometer — a sharp turnaround from earlier this century, when counts dropped to zero in parts of Meizhou, Huizhou, and Heyuan counties.
Pangolins are among the last surviving groups of scaly mammals, with nine recognized species across tropical Asia and Africa. Demand for their scales and meat has made them the most trafficked mammal globally.
Comprehensive monitoring began in Guangdong in 2020, when the Chinese Forests and Grasslands Administration activated 690 infrared cameras across known habitats. Since then, habitat conditions have improved in several areas, China Daily reports.
Guangzhou, the provincial capital, now hosts China’s first research and breeding center for Chinese tree pangolins, set up by the Administration. Nationwide, there are 35 distribution areas for the Chinese pangolin, all included in a national list of “key terrestrial habitats.”
With protection, monitoring, and captive research in place, conservationists say the darkest days for the Chinese tree pangolin may finally be behind it.
