Pangolins

Pangolin

• The World-Wide Fund for Nature India, also known as WWF India, and TRAFFIC, a non-governmental organization that tracks illegal international wildlife trade, recently released a report detailing the poaching and trafficking of over 1,200 pangolins, also known as the scaly anteaters, in India over the course of the previous four years from 2018 to 2022.
• In the 342 seizure occurrences, more than 880 kg of pangolin compounds and 199 live pangolins were reported.

More on the news:

• In China and Southeast Asia, pangolins are mostly hunted for their scales, which are used as an ingredient in traditional remedies and are thought to treat a variety of illnesses.
• According to reports, pangolins are among the most often traded wild mammals worldwide.
• Moreover, pangolin flesh is prized as a delicacy and consumed for its purported health benefits.
• Pangolins and their derivatives were found in 24 states and one Union Territory, according to documented seizures.
• According to the most recent research by WWF-TRAFFIC, 74 seizures totaling 154 pangolins were made in Odisha.
• Odisha caught the most live pangolins (45 incidences and 50 pangolins), followed by Maharashtra (27 incidents and 32 pangolins).

About Pangolin:

• Manidae-related pangolins are the only known mammals in India with thick keratin scales covering their skin. They are toothless, nocturnal, burrow dwellers, and their primary food sources are termites and ants.
• There are four pangolin species on each of the continents of Asia and Africa. Indian pangolins Manis crassicaudata, and Chinese pangolins Manis pentadactyla, are both found in India. Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are all home to Indian pangolins.
• A distinctive feature of pangolins is their look. Their entire body is covered in scales formed of keratin.
• They can curl up into a ball to protect themselves if they feel attacked.
• Despite being on Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, pangolins are still the most trafficked mammal in the world.
• The largest of the eight pangolin species is the Indian pangolin.
• The nocturnal animal consumes termites and ants while living in burrows.
• Volvation, a defensive manoeuvre used by some animals, involves rolling one's own body into a ball and only exposing the spines or the toughest sections of one's integument to potential predators.

Significance of pangolins in ecosystem:

• The ecological importance of pangolins, which are both predators and prey, cannot be overstated.
• They consume insects while controlling their number.
• Pangolins are "ecosystem architects" who construct burrows that aid in the movement of organic matter in the soil, boost soil moisture and aeration, and influence the succession of plant communities through their burying behavior.
• The burrows made by pangolins also get utilized as shelters by other species within their ecosystem. More than 30 species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates, have reportedly used Chinese pangolin burrows for a variety of functions.
• A variety of habitats, including primary and secondary tropical forests, limestone and bamboo forests, grasslands, and agricultural fields, are all suitable for it.
• The Chinese pangolin can also be found in Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. The Indian pangolin can be found all throughout the Indian subcontinent.
• Almost everywhere in India, with the exception of the North-East, high Himalayas, and desert regions.
• The species is also widespread in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Protection Status:

• The Indian pangolin is classified as Endangered (EN) on the red list of animals maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• It has been determined that the Chinese pangolin is "critically endangered."
• Both Indian and Chinese pangolins are protected in India by Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, which forbids their hunting, trade, or other forms of exploitation.
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix I contains a list of all pangolin species.

TRAFFIC:

• As a network for monitoring the wildlife trade, TRAFFIC was founded in 1976 by WWF and the IUCN. Its mission is to gather data, analyze it, and provide recommendations to help with the decision-making process regarding the wildlife trade.
• As a cooperative project of WWF and IUCN, TRAFFIC served as a pioneer in the study of wildlife traffic for more than 40 years.
• In 2017, TRAFFIC was incorporated as a non-profit organization, and its board of directors now includes independent board members as well as representatives from WWF and IUCN.
• Being a source of unbiased and trustworthy information, TRAFFIC is well-known throughout the world for its knowledge and influence in the field of wildlife commerce and conservation.