03/06/2026
A long-awaited decision could help shape the future of seven pangolin species.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering whether seven pangolin species should be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The agency proposed the protections in 2025 and typically has one year to finalize a decision, though that timeline can be extended.
Conservation groups have spent more than a decade advocating for the protections, citing ongoing threats from wildlife trafficking and population declines across Asia and Africa. All eight pangolin species are currently considered at risk of extinction.
