China has removed pangolins from its official list of traditional Chinese medicine treatments.
The mammals, traditionally found in Asia, are highly sought after because of their scales and their meat.
Their keratin scales are used excessively in China as a way of treating anxiety and hysterical crying in children, women thought to be possessed by devils and ogres, malarial fever, and deafness.
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It's also claimed to help unblock blood clots, promote blood circulation, and help lactating women secrete milk. It's believed that because the pangolin scales protect them from attack, humans who ingest the scales will be protected.
The pangolin meat on the other hand is considered a delicacy in the country.
China's Health Times newspaper reports the mammal's protected status has been raised in the country, meaning it cannot be on the list of traditional medicine treatments.
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They're believed to be the most trafficked animal in the world, making up 20 per cent of the world's illegal wildlife trade, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Conservation group Save Pangolins is thrilled at the announcement, with boss Paul Thomson saying: "China's move to phase out pangolin scales from traditional medicines could be the game changer we have been waiting for.
"We hope China's next move will be to enforce the regulations and work to change consumer behaviour."
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China banned the trade and sale of live wild animals earlier this year, however exemptions were placed on animals that are related to the fur or medicine industries.
The pangolin is certainly a tricky animal to help because they don't thrive in captivity. There have been several attempts to get their numbers up through captive breeding, however they depend on a wide-ranging habitat and a very specific diet.
Attempts have previously been made to farm pangolins to prevent them from being illegally traded, however these have been so far unsuccessful.
They also have a fragile immune system due to genetic dysfunction, meaning their health can decline rapidly when they're introduced to new environments. They can also be susceptible to pneumonia and ulcers.
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To make matters worse, conservationists have noticed that pangolins that are rescued from illegal trade have a high chance of being infected with parasites like intestinal worms.
The eight species of the animal range from vulnerable to critically endangered.
Their status has been on the forefront recently as researchers suspect they were partly responsible for the coronavirus.
While many studies have found bats to have been the original source of Covid-19, they believe an intermediary animal was responsible for passing it onto humans. Some scientists believe the pangolin is that intermediary animal.
Featured Image Credit: PA