Pangolins have been in need of protection from humans for a while, and recently, the U.S Wildlife Service proposed an Endangered Species Act on Pangolins, an African/Asian animal that is critically endangered due to their weak genes, habitat loss, and poaching. This was announced on Monday, June 16th, 2025, and a 60–day public comment period begins on Tuesday. Pangolins already received CITES protection in 2017, which does guarantee survival, but it does not prevent loopholes such as the sale of older pangolin parts in the U.S.

Pangolins are currently the most heavily trafficked mammal in the world, and all 8 species are currently listed as threatened by the IUCN Red List. However, only one species is currently protected by the U.S. law, and that is the Temminck’s ground pangolin. The proposed rule would add the other seven species and classify them as endangered, one of the most critical levels under the ESA. ESA stands for the Endangered Species Act and has 7 levels. Least concern, near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild, and extinct.

ESA protections would include bans on imports, exports, hunting, and trading. It also may provide funding for conservation efforts. This would strengthen international efforts, such as the domestic markets in China.

Public awareness of the Pangolin has also increased. They have become more common in social media and pop culture as YouTubers such as On The Edge and BBC Earth have made videos on them, increasing conservation efforts in the past decade.

This makes them easy targets for poachers. Pangolin scales are also used in traditional Chinese medicine, and its meat is served as a delicacy in China. Efforts are being made to help stop them, and these efforts to save this endangered animal will hopefully help its population rise again.