Pangolins removed from textbooks as TCM ingredient

A primary school science book and a related reference book for teachers will no longer mention pangolins as being a pharmaceutical component, after a group questioned the propagation of the belief's impact on animal conservation efforts.

The China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation drew attention to the question in a letter to the book's distributor, and the publisher subsequently responded with its own letter to the foundation saying the passages would be removed.

The science book for the first semester of Grade 6 published by Educational Science Publishing House mentioned pangolin parts as an effective ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, the publishing house noted in its reply to the foundation.