Overview

• The research shows about 98% of pangolin hunts in Nigeria’s Cross River region are motivated by local meat demand, with roughly two-thirds of scales discarded because meat sells three to four times higher in local markets.
• Data collected from over 800 hunters and traders across 33 locations between 2020 and 2023 indicate an estimated 21,000 pangolins are killed annually in the region.
• Local interviews rate all three major African pangolin species as the most palatable bushmeat, and hunters often provide meat for cultural practices, including beliefs it strengthens pregnant women and their babies.
• Through the Pangolino network, by-laws are being piloted in four Southeastern Nigerian villages to ban pangolin killing and offer financial rewards for communities that comply.
• Researchers note similar meat-driven hunting and consumption patterns in Cameroon and Gabon, suggesting that bushmeat demand may be a widespread threat to pangolins across West and Central Africa.