In 2021, the China-Laos railway was opened, and after the lifting of epidemic containment measures in early 2023, a large number of Chinese tourists flocked to Laos. This influx has led to a growing problem of large-scale illegal wildlife trade in Laos. Chinese social media platforms are filled with comments inviting netizens to visit Laos for wildlife consumption.
One of the world’s most prominent independent environmental science and nature conservation news media platforms, Mongabay, recently released an article exposing the proliferation of videos on various Chinese social media platforms like WeChat Video Accounts, Douyin (TikTok), and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). These videos promote Laotian markets as if they were zoos, showcasing encounters with various wildlife.
Users only need to search for Chinese keywords like “Laos pangolin,” “Laos wild game,” and “Laos bear paw” to find related content. One Chinese video blogger, in a video filmed at a Laotian market, proudly displayed bear paws, various bird species, dried rats, a giant lizard, and even a live pangolin held in hand.
The blogger commented in the video that Laotian markets are like wildlife zoos. While in Chinese zoos, animals can only be observed, in Laotian markets, wild animals can be consumed. Since August 2025, a single Chinese internet celebrity has posted a total of 96 videos related to wildlife trade. These videos openly display a large number of protected wildlife species being offered for sale, with the blogger using coded language to evade scrutiny, suggesting that Chinese viewers can “rescue” these animals.
The blogger also mentioned that there are too many animals in Southeast Asia. In the comments section of these videos, many netizens inquire about purchasing items like pangolin scales and claws. The blogger either responds with a thumbs-up gesture or requests a private message for contact.
Steven Glaster, the founder of the Bangkok-based anti-human trafficking NGO Freeland Foundation, expressed concerns that these individuals seem to be promoting such content to an audience that has not received effective wildlife protection education, showcasing the consumption of a large number of endangered species.
Another video released in November 2025 showed a blogger in a Laotian restaurant holding a curled-up pangolin, surrounded by a group of Chinese tourists. Curiously, as the tourists interacted with the pangolin, a young man who seemed to be a guide mentioned that pangolin scales are valuable Chinese medicine ingredients, priced at 2000 RMB per catty (500g), and that pangolin blood can be used for fried rice while the meat can be stewed with hen.
Such videos circulating widely on Chinese social media may attract more people to Laos to consume pangolins and other wild animals. In June 2026, another WeChat user posted a video claiming that in Laos, for 1000 RMB, one can eat a pangolin weighing around 6 kilograms, roughly priced at 150 USD per kilogram served freshly in restaurants.
The article highlighted criticism faced by global platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp for not effectively combating illegal wildlife trade conducted through their platforms. In the US, media companies are generally exempt from liability for user-generated content, with platforms largely self-regulating.
However, Chinese media companies have strict and efficient censorship, especially in areas concerning politics, pornography, and misinformation. While different internet companies have varying review mechanisms, they mostly rely on a combination of manual and artificial intelligence to determine publishable content.
The widespread promotion of wildlife trade videos on Chinese platforms indicates that existing measures are insufficient to curb illegal wildlife trade-related content. Some videos released as early as 2023 are still accessible. When requested for interviews, Bytedance and Xiaohongshu did not respond, while Tencent stated that WeChat Video Accounts explicitly prohibit the trafficking or distribution of protected wildlife and endangered species. Upon identifying potential violations, the company promptly investigates and takes action.
At Tencent’s request, the author provided screenshots of 24 pangolin-related videos found on the platform, along with Chinese keywords used to search for these videos. Tencent subsequently reported swift actions in removing all the violating content. However, at the time of publication, only 7 out of the 24 videos were deleted, with new videos on consuming pangolins continually being uploaded on the platform.
Glaster emphasized that internet companies must train artificial intelligence to identify publicly sold wildlife, including animal body parts. Given the cunning nature of illicit actors, who may circumvent scrutiny through word games, relying solely on text recognition is insufficient.