A new scientific breakthrough could give conservationists a powerful weapon in the fight against pangolin trafficking.

Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals on Earth. These shy, nocturnal animals are targeted for their scales and meat, fuelling a vast illegal wildlife trade.

Now, scientists have developed a ground breaking DNA-tracking system that could help authorities identify where trafficked pangolins were originally taken from, potentially tracing them back to a specific forest or geographic area.

Researchers analysed more than 700 pangolin DNA samples from museums, markets, field sites and trafficking seizures to build a genetic reference map of pangolin populations.

The results are remarkable. In white-bellied pangolins, researchers were able to trace animals to within roughly 5 miles of their original habitat - an unprecedented level of precision that could provide conservationists and law enforcement with a powerful new tool.

From a seized pangolin to its forest of origin

Until now, one of the biggest challenges in pangolin trafficking investigations has been establishing where an animal was taken from.

A shipment containing hundreds or thousands of scales may be intercepted at a border, but by then the evidence of where those animals were originally captured can be almost impossible to establish.

DNA could change that.

Like a biological fingerprint, genetic information varies between populations. By comparing DNA from trafficked pangolins with samples from known populations, scientists can create a genetic map that helps pinpoint their geographic origins.

Researchers found major trafficking hotspots including south-western Cameroon, south-western Borneo and Myanmar's Sagaing Region.

Even more significantly, the study revealed that forests supplying local bushmeat markets are also feeding international trafficking networks - providing evidence that local and global wildlife trade may be far more closely connected than previously demonstrated.

Why does knowing the origin matter?

Because identifying where a pangolin was taken from could fundamentally change the way wildlife crime is investigated.If several seizures are genetically linked to the same forest or protected area, authorities can begin looking for patterns.

· Are poachers repeatedly targeting the same landscape?

· Is a particular wildlife corridor being exploited?

· Are animals from several neighbouring areas being funnelled into the same trafficking network?

DNA could help answer these questions.

Researchers say that, in the future, customs and forensic laboratories could potentially use the technique to identify the country, province or even protected area where trafficked pangolins originated.

That means an intercepted shipment could provide intelligence not just about the crime itself, but about where the crime began.

Turning science into a conservation tool

DNA is no longer simply helping scientists identify an animal. It could become an intelligence tool for fighting wildlife crime.

If repeated seizures are traced back to the same region, conservation teams could direct resources towards those hotspots, strengthen ranger patrols and investigate the networks operating there. It could help turn individual seizures into a much bigger picture of how pangolins are being captured and moved.

And that is vital because stopping trafficking requires more than intercepting animals at the end of the supply chain.

Protecting one of the world's most trafficked mammals

There are eight species of pangolin, with four found in Africa and four in Asia.

African species include the ground pangolin, giant pangolin, Temminck's pangolin and white-bellied pangolin.

Despite their unusual appearance, pangolins play an important role in healthy ecosystems. They feed extensively on ants and termites, while their digging helps disturb and aerate soil. Their abandoned burrows can also provide shelter for other wildlife.