In a recent operation, Hyderabad’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers rescued a live pangolin and arrested four wildlife traffickers in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadiri, underscoring a mounting effort to save one of the world’s most trafficked and endangered animals. The DRI, acting on intelligence reports, carried out a sting operation by posing as potential buyers. This tactic allowed them to infiltrate a trafficking ring in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa district. The successful sting operation, conducted on the Kadiri-Pulivendula Road, led to the arrest of the traffickers and the safe recovery of the pangolin, which has since been handed over to Kadiri Forest Range officials under the stringent Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
This operation follows a series of pangolin trafficking crackdowns across India, where the species has become increasingly vulnerable to illegal trade. With pangolins listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act and Appendix I of CITES, the protection is at its highest level, yet demand remains high. As the world’s most trafficked mammal, pangolins are hunted relentlessly for their scales, often falsely touted in traditional Chinese medicine for possessing medicinal properties. Despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting any health benefits, pangolin scales are highly sought after in parts of Asia, especially China, while the meat is considered a delicacy in countries like Vietnam. This demand has spurred black-market trafficking, with each pangolin fetching exorbitant prices.
India is home to two pangolin species—the Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), both endangered. In response to the escalating illegal trade, the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) has partnered with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department on a conservation initiative that has been active since 2019. According to Dr. Anish Andheria, President and CEO of WCT, this conservation project operates in the Pench and Satpura forests, focusing on rehabilitating rescued pangolins. Their efforts include satellite and VHF radio tagging for tracking, treating animals in distressing conditions, and ultimately releasing them back into their natural habitats.
A recent case highlights the rescue of a pangolin in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where three individuals were fined for attempting to smuggle the animal. The pangolin has since been handed over to the Forest Department for release, marking a regional effort to curb illegal wildlife trade. Conservation organizations across Asia and Africa are united in protecting pangolins, as reflected by the work of Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative (GWCI) in Nigeria, where pangolins rescued from local markets often arrive in poor health. Eight-month-old pangolin pup “Tikki,” for instance, was found infested with disease-carrying ticks. In such instances, specialized care and formula feeding are critical to the survival of these vulnerable animals.
Pangolin poaching in India has also escalated over the years, peaking around 2015-2016, as indicated by Pench Tiger Reserve’s Deputy Director, Rajneesh Singh. He notes that poachers often target pangolins along routes stretching from Chhattisgarh through Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, and Mizoram, extending into Burma. However, recent conservation efforts have begun to dismantle organized pangolin trafficking networks in these regions.
Besides combating poaching, WCT’s conservation initiatives also aim to spread awareness. Public misunderstanding about pangolins, often confused with other species, poses an ongoing challenge. For instance, during a 2019 awareness event, visitors in Bhopal mistakenly thought the initiative was about penguins, revealing the lack of recognition pangolins receive in conservation efforts compared to higher-profile animals like tigers.
Pangolins play a vital ecological role, with burrows that provide habitats for other creatures and a diet that helps control termite populations. However, their nocturnal and reclusive nature makes conservation efforts challenging, as noted by Aditya Joshi, head of WCT’s pangolin conservation project. Pangolins are typically shy, emerging only at night, which complicates tracking and monitoring.
For conservationists, pangolins’ unique biological features, including their keratin-rich scales and specialized diets, underscore the urgent need for protection. Drilling into these scales to affix tracking tags is complicated, and the limited range of VHF tags requires close monitoring without disturbing the animal. Conservation teams are further supported by trained sniffer dogs, camera traps, and satellite monitoring.
The rise in pangolin poaching underscores an urgent need for more focused policies and public awareness. While India has made strides, conservationists believe the government must increase support for pangolin conservation. In the words of a Madhya Pradesh forest department official, “While tiger conservation receives considerable publicity, pangolin conservation could be achieved relatively easily with clear policies and sufficient budget allocation.”
The international pangolin conservation effort highlights the shared responsibility to protect this endangered species. Conservationists believe that educating communities near forests and implementing effective anti-trafficking policies are essential to minimizing the trade. Each effort counts in the struggle to protect pangolins from the devastating impact of illegal trafficking, an effort crucial to preserving both biodiversity and ecological balance.