Taiwan Pangolin

30-second overview: The Taiwan pangolin is the most illegally traded mammal in the world — the Taiwan subspecies of the Chinese pangolin. While their relatives in other parts of Asia are being driven to the brink of extinction by smuggling, Taiwan stands out as one of the few places where conservation has succeeded, with a stable and even recovering population. Through strict legal protection, comprehensive habitat preservation, scientific research, and captive breeding, the story of the Taiwan pangolin is a rare "good news" conservation case.

Why It Matters

Pangolins are among the most ancient mammals on Earth, clad in keratin scales like living witnesses to the planet's transformations. Yet over the past two decades, they have become the most trafficked wildlife in the world. According to the IUCN Red List, of the eight pangolin species, 3 are classified as Critically Endangered (CR), 4 as Endangered (EN), and 1 as Vulnerable (VU) — all facing varying degrees of extinction risk.¹ The conservation success of the Taiwan pangolin offers the world a glimpse of an alternative possibility: species extinction is not inevitable, and conservation can succeed under the right conditions.

A Mysterious Creature That Curls Into a Ball

The Taiwan pangolin (Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla) is a Taiwan-endemic subspecies of the Chinese pangolin. It measures roughly 60 cm in head-and-body length, with an 18 cm tail, and is covered head to toe in armor-like brown scales. These scales are not fish scales but are composed of keratin — the same substance as human fingernails.

When night falls, the Taiwan pangolin begins its foraging journey. It is a professional "insect cleaner," using powerful front claws to tear open ant nests and termite mounds, then extending its tongue — which can reach up to 25 cm — to swallow thousands of ants and termites in a single night. When threatened, it quickly curls into a tight ball with its scales erected outward, leaving even a tiger unable to get a bite.

A Survivor in the Global Smuggling Crisis

Pangolins are the most illegally traded mammals in the world. Since 2000, at least 1 million pangolins have been trafficked globally, primarily flowing to traditional medicine markets in China and Vietnam.

Pangolin scales (known in Chinese medicine as "chuān jiǎ jiǎ piàn") have long been listed as an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, with historical pharmacopoeias recording their use for promoting lactation, reducing swelling, and dissipating nodules. In 2020, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission announced the removal of pangolin from the new edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia — the most concrete policy signal to date restricting the medicinal use of pangolin. However, existing medicinal inventories and underground demand are unlikely to disappear overnight, and smuggling channels remain active.¹ As a result, pangolin populations in Asia and Africa have declined sharply. The Chinese pangolin was listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN in 2014, and at the 17th CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) in 2016, all eight pangolin species were uplisted to Appendix I, banning all commercial trade; the resolution took effect officially in January 2017.²

Taiwan, however, is an outlier in this extinction crisis.

Taiwan's Conservation Miracle

Strict Legal Protection

Taiwan listed the pangolin as a protected wild animal as early as 1989. Following amendments to the Wildlife Conservation Act in 2017, hunting, killing, or selling pangolins carries a sentence of 6 months to 5 years imprisonment, along with a fine of NT$300,000 to NT$1,500,000.³ By comparison, mainland China did not elevate the pangolin from Class II to Class I protected animal status until 2020 — Taiwan's protective measures started earlier and have been enforced more rigorously.

Comprehensive Habitat Protection

Taiwan's low-elevation foothill areas provide ideal habitat for pangolins. From Yangmingshan National Park to Kenting National Park, from the mountainous areas near Taipei to the hills of central and southern Taiwan, these protected zones serve as safe havens for pangolins. Importantly, Taiwan's pangolins are able to adapt to the edges of human activity, surviving even in secondary forests on the fringes of metropolitan areas.

Scientific Research and Monitoring

Taiwan's research institutions have long invested in pangolin ecology, using radio telemetry, infrared camera traps, and other technologies to monitor population dynamics. Among them, Sun Jing-min of the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology's Institute of Wildlife Conservation has conducted long-term pangolin banding and release research, serving as a key source of ecological data on Taiwan's pangolins.⁴ This scientific data not only helps understand pangolin behavior patterns but also provides an evidence base for conservation policy.

Breeding Breakthroughs at Taipei Zoo

Taipei Zoo has achieved significant results in pangolin captive breeding, making it one of the few institutions in the world to successfully breed pangolins in captivity. Pangolin captive breeding is extremely difficult: they are sensitive to environmental changes, have demanding husbandry requirements, and have long reproductive cycles. The zoo has established an ex-situ conservation population by simulating wild environments, fine-tuning nutritional regimens, and conducting behavioral observations.

These breeding achievements not only provide an insurance policy for Taiwan pangolin conservation but also contribute valuable experience to international pangolin conservation programs.

Unsung Heroes of the Ecosystem

The Taiwan pangolin plays a concrete role in the ecosystem. As a "biological pest control specialist," a single adult pangolin can consume vast quantities of ants and termites each year (various studies estimate roughly 1 to 2 million), controlling insect populations and protecting forests and crops from pest damage.¹

Their burrowing behavior also modifies soil structure, increasing soil aeration and water retention and promoting plant root growth. Pangolin burrows are often used by other small animals, forming complex underground ecological networks.

Threats That Remain

Despite conservation successes, Taiwan's pangolins still face numerous challenges:

Stray Dog Attacks

Free-roaming dogs in the wild are one of the primary predators pangolins face in Taiwan. When threatened, a pangolin curls into a ball, and its hard scales make it difficult for large predators to bite through directly. But dogs attack differently — they mob in groups and repeatedly flip the pangolin over. A pangolin cannot maintain its curled position indefinitely; eventually, fatigue causes it to uncurl, exposing its soft belly to injury or death.

Roadkill

With road development, cases of pangolins being struck and killed by vehicles while crossing roads are not uncommon. Especially during the breeding season, when pangolins expand their range of activity, the risk of roadkill increases.

Habitat Development

Although a protected area system exists, urban expansion and road construction continue to fragment pangolin habitat, affecting genetic exchange between populations and foraging ranges.

Coexisting With the City

Taiwan's pangolins have demonstrated remarkable adaptability. They are found not only in pristine forests but also in establishing homes on the fringes of heavily human-populated metropolitan areas. In places such as Yangmingshan in Taipei, Wulai in New Taipei City, and Fuxing in Taoyuan, there are cases of pangolins coexisting harmoniously with humans.

In Taichung, the foothill areas surrounding the campus of Chung Shan Medical University were reportedly found to harbor pangolin activity, sparking discussions about development versus conservation — when a pangolin appears on your campus, does the land belong to people or to the animal? Stories like this can be found across Taiwan, reflecting the growing public awareness of pangolin protection in Taiwanese society.

Physiology and Behavior

The pangolin's body is full of evolutionary marvels. Its scales are composed of keratin (the same substance as human fingernails), and when curled into a ball, even lions and tigers struggle to bite through. Its tongue can extend up to 25 cm — nearly half its body length — yet it has no teeth, relying instead on keratinous spines and small stones in its stomach to grind food. Its front claws are powerful enough to dig burrows up to 3 meters deep; despite its heavy armor, the pangolin is also a capable swimmer, able to cross rivers.

Outside of the mating season, pangolins are solitary for life, with mother and offspring staying together for only about six months. The gestation period lasts 120 to 150 days, and females give birth to only one offspring per litter. Their extremely slow reproductive rate is one reason why, once a population crashes, recovery is exceedingly difficult. Pangolins are among the oldest extant scaled mammals, with a fossil record tracing their evolutionary history back approximately 50 to 60 million years to the Paleocene.

The Global Significance of Taiwan's Experience

The conservation success of the Taiwan pangolin provides a reference case for global endangered species protection. Taiwan's approach has several distinguishing features: legislation was enacted as early as 1989, more than a decade ahead of most countries; protection extends from law to habitat, scientific research, and public education, forming a four-layered defense; data accumulated by research institutions and zoos provide a scientific basis for policy adjustments; and public awareness of pangolins in Taiwan has deepened year by year, with citizen reporting mechanisms for roadkill and injured individuals contributing to wildlife monitoring data.

In an era of rapidly accelerating biodiversity loss, the story of the Taiwan pangolin offers a concrete answer: extinction is not the only outcome.

References

Further Reading

• CITES Appendix Status
• Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan