Environmentalists and the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department have organised an awareness programme to mark World Pangolin Day 2024 on February 17 and released a poster on it.
The Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), also called the Thick-Tailed Pangolin and Scaly Anteater, is a native of the Indian Subcontinent.
It is protected under Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and is also listed in Appendix-I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The CITES list prohibits the trade in their parts and derivatives. In addition to that, the species is also classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Across the world, there are eight species of pangolins which belong to different classifications of endangered species, ranging from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered, observed Chiranjiv Choudhary, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF)
Regulates insect popultaion
The Indian Pangolin plays a key role in regulating insect populations in the forest by feeding exclusively on ants and termites, he added.
Though there is no scientific evidence that pangolin scales and meat have any medicinal value, pangolins are heavily traded for this purpose, which has become a greater threat to their existence. Unlike in the case of tigers and elephants, the government has not scientifically enumerated the population of pangolins in India, according to the Forest Department.
“Understanding their (Indian Pangolin) population distribution, trade channels, and ecology holds the key to the long-term conservation of the species in the Andhra Pradesh”Chiranjiv ChoudharyPrincipal Chief Conservator of Forest
Indian Pangolins have become so rare across their native range, and they are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, Mr. Chiranjiv added. “We have only anecdotal information on their distribution and ecology while there are plenty of conservation threats to the species. In such a scenario, understanding their population distribution, trade channels, and ecology holds the key to the long-term conservation of the species in the Andhra Pradesh”, he added.
The Forest Department has been actively involved in the conservation of Indian Pangolins at Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) in coordination with NGO - Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, the PCCF informed. The NSTR region has a rich biodiversity, dense forest with sufficient rains and rivers flowing in Andhra Pradesh.
World Pangolin Day is an opportunity for pangolin enthusiasts to join together in raising awareness about these unique mammals. The number of these amazing creatures is rapidly declining in Asia and Africa due to poaching and illegal hunting.
Mr. Chiranjiv Choudhary and A.K. Naik, PCCF (Wild Life) & Chief Wildlife Warden, A.P., on February 16 (Friday) have released brochures in English and Telugu languages on ‘Rescue and Rehabilitation Guidelines for Indian Pangolin’ for first responders on how to rescue and rehabilitate pangolins in distress.
The PCCF said that the brochure will help facilitate appropriate interventions to save pangolins, especially during confiscations from poachers or rescuers in and around human-dominated landscapes, by providing information on dos and don’ts for the first responders.
Pangolin facts
- They are the only mammals with scales.
- They do not have teeth and feed on only ants and termites
- There are eight species of pangolins found worldwide- four each in Asia and Africa
- The scales are made of keratin
- The Indian Pangolin is the only species of pangolin found in Andhra Pradesh
Causes of endangerment
- They are the most trafficked mammal in the world.
- Their meat is consumed as a delicacy in some parts of the world
- Their scales and body parts are in demand for use in traditional medicines
- Largest demand is in Asia, particularly China, Vietnam and Cambodia
