Launch of first-ever regional action plan for African pangolins

The West Africa Regional Pangolin Conservation Action Plan (2026–2056), published by IUCN’s Species Survival Commission Pangolin Specialist Group (PSG), sets out a coordinated 30-year roadmap to guide conservation action across the region.

The action plan was formally presented to pangolin Range States and the wider conservation community at the 20th Conference of the Parties to the CITES Convention (CITES CoP20) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, underscoring its importance as the first regional action plan created for any African pangolin species.

West Africa is home to three of the world's eight pangolin species: the white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla), and giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea). All three species are now recognised as Threatened on the IUCN Red List, facing severe declines due to habitat loss and international wildlife trafficking. The white-bellied pangolin is believed to be the single most heavily trafficked wild mammal in the world.

The plan offers a comprehensive, collaboratively developed roadmap to reverse the alarming declines and secure pangolin populations across 11 West African range states, including Cameroon and Gabon, which play essential roles in trafficking into the region.

“This Action Plan is the result of unprecedented collaboration across borders, sectors, and disciplines,” said Dr Matthew H. Shirley, PSG Co-Chair. “It provides a clear, evidence-based, and innovative roadmap to secure the future of West Africa's three pangolin species over the next 30 years.”

The Action Plan is organised around six major threats and intervention categories, within which 16 goals have been identified that will allow actors in West Africa to achieve their collective vision for the conservation of pangolins.

“With the launch of the West Africa Regional Pangolin Conservation Action Plan, we reaffirm our commitment to securing a future where pangolins thrive, not in isolation, but alongside communities that value and protect them. As Regional Chair of the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group, I believe this plan marks a turning point in our shared mission to restore pangolin populations and preserve their vital role in West Africa’s ecosystems,” said Professor Olajumoke Morenikeji.

The roadmap was developed through a collaborative effort involving the PSG, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Fauna & Flora. It was shaped through a participatory workshop held in Accra, Ghana, in March 2023, bringing together 85 stakeholders from government agencies, NGOs, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres, and research institutions across eight West African pangolin range states, as well as Cameroon and Gabon.

Unlike isolated or project-specific guidance, the Action Plan offers a harmonised regional framework aligned with national priorities, CITES obligations, and the realities that enforcement authorities, protected area managers, and community partners face.

Download the full West Africa Regional Pangolin Conservation Action Plan (2026-2056) here.

Additional resources and information can be found on the PSG website under the Conservation tab, Plan page: www.pangolinsg.org