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Ecology & Environment
Mahesh

19/02/23 16:15 PM IST

Over 1,200 pangolins trafficked in India in 5 years: Report

In News
  • As many as 1,203 pangolins, the most trafficked wild mammal in the world, were poached for illegal wildlife trade in India from 2018-2022, a new report showed.
Major Highlights
  • The highest number of seizure incidents (74) and pangolins (154) seized were in Odisha.
  • Once known to be found in large numbers, its population is rapidly declining in its range due to habitat loss and rampant poaching for its skin, scales, and meat.
  • Pangolins are among the most trafficked wild mammals, globally, traded mostly in Asia, where their scales are considered to be medicinal and their meat a delicacy.
Pangolins
  • Pangolins are nocturnal, toothless mammals that dig burrows and feed on ants and termites. Of the two species found in India, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is recognised as ‘Endangered’ and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) as ‘Critically Endangered’ in the International Union for Conservation of Nature List of Threatened Species.
  • In India, they are protected by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 that prohibits its hunting, trade or any other form of utilisation.
  • The commercial trade of pangolins was also banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in 2017.
  • The Chinese pangolin has been listed as “critically endangered”.
  • It is adaptable to a wide range of habitats including primary and secondary tropical forests, limestone and bamboo forests, grasslands and agricultural fields.
    The Indian Pangolin is found across the Indian subcontinent; Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam also have the presence of Chinese pangolin.
Significance
  • They play a vital role in the ecosystem management, mostly in aerating and adding moisture to the soil as well as succession of plant communities through burrowing.
  • They also keep in check the population of certain insects they prey on.
  • The burrows made by pangolins also get utilised as shelters by other species within their ecosystem.
Source- DTE

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