There is no legal market price for pangolin scales; buying and selling them is illegal

When it comes to the price of pangolin scales, the first thing to make clear is that there is no legal answer to this question. The pangolin is a national first-class protected wild animal, and both the animal itself and its products are banned from trade, so there is no public, legal market price for its scales to refer to.

In the past, pangolin scales were used as a traditional medicinal material, but in recent years the relevant regulations have been tightened. After the pangolin's protection level was raised, its scales were removed from the pharmacopoeia and the list of medicinal raw materials, and clinical practice turned to approved substitute medicinal materials. In other words, whether for medicinal use or for collecting, the legal channels have all been closed.

From a legal perspective, illegally purchasing, transporting or selling pangolins and their products may constitute a criminal offense, and buyers bear legal responsibility as well. Most of the so-called trading information circulating online is illegal activity or even a scam; those who take part may not only face penalties but also easily suffer financial losses.

Pangolins feed mainly on termites and ants, play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance of forests, and are also an endangered species of major international concern. If you have scales left over from earlier years at home, the proper course of action is to contact your local forestry department to hand them in for disposal, rather than passing them on yourself. Rather than asking about prices, it is better to pay more attention to conservation; this is both a legal requirement and a responsibility owed to the ecological environment.