Tiger? No. Monkey? No. Elephant? Close. The most trafficked mammal in the world isn’t that well known, and therein lies the problem. This pinecone with legs is disappearing from the face of the earth, while almost no one knows of its existence.

This real-life Pokemon character is called the pangolin, and it is the most trafficked mammal on the planet. Some estimate that over a two year period, 116,990 to 233,980 pangolins were trafficked. Only elephants come close to that number. Below is Lucky, a pangolin saved from poachers, now residing at Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam.

Pangolin meat is seen as a delicacy in some cultures. Their scales are used in traditional medicine, and their blood is used as a healing tonic.

For more information about pangolins, click here. 

[ Source : CNN ]