A groundbreaking three-year study by University of Cambridge researchers has upended conventional wisdom about pangolin conservation in West Africa, revealing that local bushmeat consumption, not international-scale scale trafficking, drives the overwhelming majority of pangolin killings in Nigeria’s Cross River region.
The research team documented 21,000 pangolins killed annually in Cross River forests. Of these, 73 percent are consumed by hunters’ families, with the remaining 27 percent sold locally. The meat commands three to four times higher prices than scales in regional markets. Less than 30 percent of scales are collected, with most discarded as waste.
“While global attention focuses on scale seizures at Nigerian ports, our fieldwork shows meat demand is the primary extinction driver here,” said lead author Dr. Charles Emogor, whose findings were published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
The study identified multiple compounding threats. Pangolin meat is considered superior to conventional proteins, and traditional beliefs include feeding it to pregnant women for perceived health benefits. The species’ low reproductive rate—females birth just one to two offspring annually—combined with their curling instinct, which makes them easy prey for opportunistic hunters, further accelerates their decline.
The research challenges prevailing anti-trafficking strategies. Over $50 million in pangolin scales have been intercepted at Nigerian ports since 2020, yet less than one percent of local killings are linked to international trade. Most hunting occurs incidentally during farming or other game pursuits.
Dr. Emogor’s organization Pangolino is pioneering community-based interventions. These include village bylaws restricting pangolin hunting, alternative protein programs to reduce bushmeat dependence, and ecological education about pangolins’ pest-control role. “Protecting 80 million years of evolutionary history requires understanding local realities,” emphasized Emogor. “When a mother chooses pangolin meat believing it helps her unborn child, no international trade ban will change that decision.”
The findings suggest current conservation investments may be misaligned. Researchers are advocating for redirected funding to local food security initiatives, community patrols rather than port interdictions, and cultural engagement with traditional healers and elders.
