@article{fdi:010081161,
  title = {{E}thnozoological and commercial drivers of the pangolin trade in {B}enin},
  author = {{Z}anvo, {S}. and {D}jagoun, {S}cam and {A}zihou, {F}. {A}. and {D}jossa, {B}. and {S}insin, {B}. and {G}aubert, {P}hilippe},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground{P}angolins are trafficked in unsustainable volumes to feed both local and global trade networks for their meat and the medicinal properties of their derivatives, including scales. {W}e focus on a {W}est {A}frican country ({B}enin) to assess the medicinal and spiritual values of pangolins among different ethnic groups and identify the cohort of buyers involved in the pangolin trade and related economic values along the chain, notably from local diasporas.{M}ethods{W}e organised 54 focus groups in villages surrounding occurrence habitats of pangolins across {B}enin and conducted 35 individual interviews with vendors from five major traditional medicine markets ({TMM}s). {O}ur questionnaire addressed the different uses of pangolins, the commercial value of pangolin items, the categories of clients and the related selling prices.{R}esults{P}angolin meat was strictly consumed as food. {S}cales, head, bones, tongue, blood, heart and xiphisternum were the items used by local communities as part of medicinal (65% of the focus groups) and spiritual (37%) practices. {S}cales were the most frequently used item (use value index = 1.56). {A} total of 42 medicinal and spiritual uses, covering 15 {I}nternational {C}lassification of {D}iseases ({ICD}) categories, were recorded among ethnic groups. {T}he {ICD} and spiritual categories-based analyses of similarity showed a partial overlapping of ethnozoological knowledge across {B}enin, although knowledge was significantly influenced by ethnicity and geographic location. {T}he pricing of pangolins both varied with the category of stakeholders (local communities vs. stakeholders of {TMM}s) and clients (local and {W}est {A}frican clients vs. {C}hinese community) and the type of items sold. {T}he {C}hinese community was reported to only buy pangolins alive, and average selling prices were 3-8 times higher than those to {W}est {A}frican clients.{C}onclusions{O}ur results confirm that pangolins in {A}frica are valuable and versatile resources for consumption and medicinal / spiritual practices. {T}he pangolin trade in {B}enin is based on an endogenous and complex network of actors that now appears influenced by the specific, high-valued demand from the {C}hinese diaspora. {F}urther investigations are required to assess the growing impact of the {C}hinese demand on the {A}frican wildlife trade.},
  keywords = {{E}thnozoological knowledge ; {S}piritual use ; {T}raditional medicine market ; {W}ildlife trade ; {P}angolins ; {B}enin ; {W}est {A}frica ; {BENIN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {E}thnobiology and {E}thnomedicine},
  volume = {17},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {18 [11 p.]},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.1186/s13002-021-00446-z},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010081161},
}