A new DNA study has found that pangolin meat sold in local markets in Nigeria is genetically linked to scales seized from international trafficking networks. The research shows that the same animals are being split between local consumption and global smuggling routes.
Markets in Nigeria supply both local plates and overseas shipments
Scientists collected tissue samples from pangolins sold as bushmeat in markets across southern Nigeria. They compared the DNA to scales confiscated from traffickers in Asia and Europe. The genetic matches were clear. Some pangolins were butchered for local sale while their scales were shipped abroad.
Nigeria is a known hub for pangolin trafficking. The animals are the most trafficked mammals in the world. Their scales are used in traditional medicine in parts of Asia. Their meat is eaten locally as a protein source. Until now, the connection between these two markets was assumed but not proven.
Why local communities are part of a much bigger problem
For people living near these markets, pangolin hunting is often a way to earn money. A single animal can be sold for its meat and its scales separately. The study found that traffickers are buying scales from the same hunters who sell meat locally. This means local hunting is directly feeding an international illegal trade.
Local conservation groups have tried to reduce pangolin hunting by offering alternative livelihoods. But the new DNA evidence shows that efforts to stop local bushmeat sales alone will not end the threat. As long as there is demand for scales overseas, hunters will keep killing pangolins.
A genetic map of the illegal trade
The researchers built a genetic database of pangolin populations across West and Central Africa. By matching confiscated scales to specific regions, they can now trace where trafficked animals were originally killed. This gives law enforcement a new tool to target poaching hotspots.
The study focused on white bellied pangolins and black bellied pangolins, two species found in Nigeria. Both are listed as endangered. The scientists say their method could be used for other trafficked species as well.
This research does not solve the pangolin crisis. But it does show that local markets and global trafficking are not separate problems. They are two ends of the same supply chain. Understanding that link is the first step toward breaking it.
