In many locations across Africa and Asia, endangered animals such as pangolins, rhinos, tigers, elephants, and the rest are killed in large numbers, either for their meat or to extract some of their parts for medicinal purposes. While the former stems from traditions like hunting for food, the latter is deeply rooted in zootherapy. The practice of zootherapy involves using animals or their byproducts, including, but not restricted to, bones, flesh, or fur, for the treatment of an array of sicknesses. It found roots in ancient human traditions and observations of nature, where animal products and secretions were found to have therapeutic or protective qualities.

With Africa known to be home to pangolins, rhinos, and other animals that are famed for their therapeutic uses, promoters of alternative therapy have, over the years, beamed their searchlight on Africa for either raw materials or finished products. Of the two, raw materials seemed the easier option, as organized crime networks, porous borders, and high poverty rates have contributed to the widespread of poaching. [A1] Among the largest promoters is Traditional Chinese Medicine, commonly referred to as TCM. The growth of TCM in Africa parallels the expansion of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an economic strategy that enables creating TCM centers worldwide. However, at the heart of this initiative lie several concerns bothering on threats [A2] to Africa’s biodiversity as well as conservation efforts on the continent.

The Rise of TCM/Expansion in Africa

With roots dating back over 2,500 years, TCM has grown and become accepted worldwide, including in Africa. It was easy for Africa to accept TCM because the products were more affordable than regular orthodox medicines. Also, TCM products and services were accessible because most, if not all, the raw materials were sourced within Africa. More so, Africa already trusted traditional medicine, particularly from herbs, so this trust made it easy for them to accept TCM, which also relied on animal parts and some herbs.

However, this growth ended up boosting the trade in animal parts from Africa. It wasn’t a shock because some of their treatments used stuff like rhino horns, elephant tusks, pangolin scales, and big cat skins. Since these animals are found in Africa, the animal part business took off, with criminals, animal smugglers, and poachers all jumping in.

But there was a dark side to it: Africa isn’t just a growing market for TCM; it’s also become a key place to get the animal parts that fuel the whole thing.

Africa As a Supply Hub

According to the most recent numbers from South Africa’s Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries, poachers killed 394 rhinos in the country in 2020. In Nigeria, customs officers routinely seize tons of pangolin scales hidden in shipping containers bound for Asia. “These networks are sophisticated — it’s not just villagers,” says wildlife officer Amaka Otu in Lagos. “You have middlemen, exporters, even corrupt agents. The animals are disappearing faster than we can count them.”

In Mozambique and South Africa, rhino poaching remains relentless. Rangers risk their lives confronting armed poachers. “We bury rhinos every week,” says Sipho Mthembu, a ranger in Kruger National Park. “They take the horn and leave the body. It’s heartbreaking — and dangerous work for us.” In Cameroon’s forests, pangolins have nearly vanished. Farmers who once relied on forest hunting for food or income now travel farther into wildlife reserves. “When the animals go, we lose everything,” says Therese Ngole, a mother of four in rural East Cameroon. “Tourists stop coming, and we have to spend more money on pesticides because there are more ants destroying crops.”

A Case In Point

Take donkeys in Nigeria, for example. They eat their meat and use the animals to carry stuff and move farm supplies. But in China, they use donkey hides to make Ejiao, a traditional Chinese remedy that they turn into powder, liquid, or other forms and use as medicine. So, they want more and more donkeys from Africa, which leads to poaching. Basically, Africa uses donkeys for everyday stuff, while China uses them for medicine, and Africa’s wildlife pays the price. Whether Africans are using the animals for farming or food, or China is using them for TCM, these animals are getting closer to disappearing.

China’s big population also makes things worse, putting Africa’s wildlife under a lot of pressure to meet China’s needs, since China relies heavily on Asia and Africa. Poverty is really high across Africa, so the continent’s ecosystems are in trouble as people break the laws to poach these animals for the money from TCM sellers.

Broader Impact of Extinction

While poachers are laughing all the way to the bank after every kill and sale, and the TCM sellers are patting each other on the back with every shipment they get, another generation of endangered animals is gone. Even if it seems like nothing’s wrong at first glance, there’s a lot more going on. The economies of countries that have these animals are losing a lot of money.

A lot of countries draw tourists to their conservation parks and zoos, which helps their economy. Eco-tourism is worth billions, so if these animals are gone, that means fewer jobs, fewer visitors, and less money for these countries. But it’s not just about money; life in local communities is hit hard, and conservation efforts get cut short. Some communities have a close affinity with wild animals and base some beliefs and celebrations on animals like big cats and elephants. Some of these cultural festivals are going away as the animals die out. Additionally, intentional bush burning to hunt animals pushes other animals closer to where people live, which leads to wild animal attacks on people nearby.

The Fragile Balance

When it comes to culture, money, and protecting the environment, there’s a delicate balance in TCM practice. It could fall apart if one part gets out of the loop. While TCM might help healthcare at the local level due to its low costs, it hurts African traditional medicine by reducing its knowledge base. It also makes illegal wildlife trade worse and it harms the environment through the overharvesting of some plants[A3] , which hurts ecological survival.

Ecological Consequences

The ecological toll is immense: elephants, lions, and pangolins are keystone species — their loss destabilizes entire ecosystems.

• Pangolins control insect populations and enrich the soil.
• Elephants create water holes and disperse seeds vital for plant diversity.
• Lions and leopards regulate herbivore numbers, preventing overgrazing.

When these species vanish, so do the livelihoods built around them — tourism jobs, farming stability, and cultural identity.

In Kenya’s Maasai Mara, local guides are already seeing the difference.

“Tourists come for the big animals,” says Joseph ole Kilele, a community guide. “If lions or elephants go, the visitors will too. And when that happens, our schools, our clinics — all funded by tourism — will suffer.”

Africa’s Response and the Gaps That Remain

Across the continent, governments are stepping up efforts to protect biodiversity and curb the illegal trade in wildlife parts. Nigeria, for instance, has strengthened its Endangered Species Act, increased penalties for poaching, and created a multi-agency Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Force under NESREA. The country also made global headlines in 2024 when it publicly destroyed over 9.4 tonnes of seized pangolin scales and other animal skins—its one of its largest actions against wildlife trafficking to date.

Similar enforcement drives are taking shape elsewhere. Zambia and South Africa have expanded anti-poaching patrols and invested in community-based conservation programs, while nations like Cameroon and Gabon partner with international bodies such as the UNODC, the Wildlife Justice Commission, and the African Wildlife Foundation to track and prosecute trafficking networks.[A4] 

Yet, despite these gains, the system remains porous. Many laws are outdated, inconsistently enforced, or lack specific provisions to address the demand created by Traditional Chinese Medicine. Fines are often negligible compared to the profits of trafficking, and border controls are chronically under-resourced. At the local level, enforcement officers and rural communities have limited capacity to monitor wildlife crime, while at the regional level, coordination among African states is weak—allowing traffickers to exploit policy differences and porous frontiers.

Critically, few governments directly regulate the medicinal trade that drives much of the demand. Without tighter monitoring of both the supply chains and the use of endangered animal parts in TCM products, Africa’s most iconic species remain vulnerable—and the livelihoods tied to healthy ecosystems are increasingly at risk.

Conclusion

The expansion of TCM in Africa has opened both opportunities and dangers. While it offers new medical perspectives and deepens China-Africa cooperation[A5] , it has also made the continent a frontline supplier in an exploitative global trade.

Unless stronger partnerships and community solutions emerge, Africa risks losing more than its wildlife — it risks losing the very balance between nature, people, and survival. “The forest used to feed us,” says former hunter Bassey Ekpo, staring into the trees. “Now it’s empty. Maybe it’s time we heal the forest too.”