Indian Pangolin : Illegal Trafficking
International non-profit organization TRAFFIC recently reported that 1,203 pangolins had been found in illegal wildlife trade in India from 2018 to 2022.
- The Indian pangolin, also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater is native to the Indian subcontinent.
- It is one of the eight species of pangolins found.
- They are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, despite an international ban on their trade.
- Scientific name: Manis crassicaudata
- Distribution: It lives in India (south of the Himalayas), Bangladesh, Southern Nepal, Sri Lanka, and small parts of Pakistan.
- Habitat: It occurs in tropical forests, open land, grasslands, and degraded habitat, including in close proximity to villages.
- Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body, which act as armor.
- The Indian pangolin’s armor is amongst the most effective in the mammalian world. It has about 13 rows of moveable sharp scales covering its body, which are shed periodically.
- Conservation status:
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
- CITES: Appendix I
