hunted throughout its range, a single giant armadillo supplies a great deal of meat, and is the primary source of protein for some indigenous peoples. in addition, live giant armadillos are frequently captured for trade on the black market, and invariably die during transportation or in captivity. despite this species’ wide range, it is locally rare. this is further exacerbated by habitat loss resulting from deforestation. current estimates indicate the giant armadillo may have undergone a worrying population decline of 30 to 50 percent over the past three decades. without intervention, this trend is likely to continue.