PANGOLINS - ENVIRONMENT
News:
Over 1,000 pangolins poached and trafficked in India between 2018 and 2022
What's in the news?
● On
the eve of World Pangolin Day observed
on February 18, a not-for-profit organization working on the international
trade of animals and plants, has brought out a fact sheet reporting that 1,203
pangolins have been found in illegal wildlife trade in India from 2018 to 2022.
Key takeaways:
● The
publication, titled ‘India’s Pangolins
Buried in Illegal Wildlife Trade’, has tracked 342 total incidents during
this time period. Eight incidents of online trading were also recorded.
● Odisha
reported the maximum number of incidents, with 154 pangolins in 74 seizures. It
was followed by Maharashtra with 135 pangolins in 47 seizure incidents.
Pangolins:
● Pangolins
are among the most trafficked wild
mammals globally.
● India
is home to two species such as
○ the
Indian Pangolin - found across the
subcontinent.
○ the
Chinese Pangolin - found across a
larger area in south Asia.
● Bihar,
West Bengal, and Assam see the presence of both.
Significance:
● It
acts as both predator and prey,
feeding on insects and also preyed upon by other animals. Hence, the Pangolin
helps in regulating the population of insects.
● The
pangolin also acts as an ‘ecosystem
engineer’ that builds burrows that help circulate soil organic matter,
increase soil moisture and aeration, and affect plant community succession.
Threats:
● They
are poached mainly for international
markets in China and southeast Asia for
their scales, which are used as an ingredient in traditional medicines.
● Pangolin meat
is also considered a delicacy and consumed for its alleged medicinal
properties.
Conservation Status:
● Both
species are included under India’s Schedule
I of the Wildlife Protection Act.
● They
are also in Appendix I of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna
(CITES), meaning they are most endangered.
● The
Indian Pangolin has been classified as ‘Endangered’
under IUCN status.
● The
Chinese Pangolin as ‘Critically
Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red
List of Threatened Species.