ABOVE: Temmincks ground pangolin (Manis temminckii)
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Covered in distinctive armor of sharp, pinecone-like scales, pangolins look like reptiles, but they are mammals. Hunters track, kill, and sell the mammals for their scales, which are used in traditional medicines, and for their meat, sometimes served as a delicacy in Asia. As a result, pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world. All eight species are labeled critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Here, a scientist and his colleagues share photos from their work to mitigate the pangolin trade in Africa. Warning: Some of the images are graphic.
