Pangolin scales have officially been removed from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) list, as pangolins are now considered to be endangered.
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The mammal has been greatly sought after for its medicinal purposes. According to the report, pangolin scales are very sought after as a type of traditional Chinese medicine as consuming them would improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation.
Large quantities of its scales and meat was needed to meet the demands in Southeast Asia, which made pangolins one of the most trafficked animals according to WildAid. This led to its substantial decline in population especially in recent years.
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About 130 tonne of the animal was seized by the authorities last year alone – that translates to roughly 400,000 pangolins.
The native Chinese pangolin species have already been declared ‘Critically Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a global wildlife regulator, banned international commercial trade of pangolin in a bid to protect the animal.
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China has previously restricted wildlife trade in 2017, following the banning of ivory and rhino horns trade. Since the novel coronavirus outbreak, farming of wild animals has also been restricted in the country.
We sincerely hope that more effort is put into the protection of animals who are hunted into near extinction for their medicinal properties or for sport.
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