A growing illicit trade in pangolins and other endangered wildlife is driving these species toward extinction, with illegal markets increasingly targeting tourists in Laos, according to recent investigations. The trafficking, largely fueled by demand in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and status consumption, is facilitated by improved infrastructure and low-cost tour operations connecting China and Laos.

Investigators gained access to multiple shops in Laos operating under the guise of legitimate businesses such as tea or cigarette stores. Behind closed doors, these establishments sell products banned internationally, including pangolin scales, ivory items, crocodile hides, and tiger bones. Pangolin scales, which are sought after for unproven medicinal uses, comprise a significant part of the illegal trade. Conservationists estimate that more than one million pangolins have been poached over the past decade—exceeding the number of elephants, rhinos, and tigers poached combined.

Pangolins are unique mammals native to parts of Asia and Africa, covered entirely with keratin scales and characterized by their unusual defense mechanism of curling into a ball to protect themselves. This behavior makes them vulnerable to capture. Their populations have dramatically declined, with some species now classified as critically endangered. Jeremy Phan, director of the Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife, reported multiple rescues of infant pangolins in Vientiane, the capital far from their natural forest habitats. These rescues suggest the illegal trade is intensifying, coinciding with a surge in Chinese tourists visiting Laos.

This increase is attributed to enhanced connectivity between the two countries following the completion of the Laos-China railway in 2021, part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The railway enables rapid, low-cost travel and has supported a rise in budget tour groups. These tours often include visits to shops and “cultural centres” where endangered animal products are openly sold, despite international prohibitions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Chinese activist and performance artist Brother Nut infiltrated one such tour, capturing footage of shops openly selling endangered animal parts, including pangolins, rhino horns, and bear bile. He reported that tourists, many of them older, are sometimes coerced into purchasing these illegal items under false pretenses that the products are legal in Laos and that buying them supports the local economy. However, payments are typically processed through Chinese digital platforms like WeChat Pay and Alipay, with funds ending up with criminal operators rather than local communities.

Despite efforts by wildlife organizations to rescue and rehabilitate trafficked animals, criminal networks continue to exploit vulnerable species for profit. The persistence of these markets highlights ongoing challenges in combating wildlife trafficking amid growing cross-border travel and demand for illicit wildlife products.