Pangolin rescued from Ranthambore leaves forest officials antsy
- After its rescue from the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, pangolin is giving a tough time to the forest officials in the Nahargarh Biological Park near Jaipur in captivity.
- They are finding it extremely difficult to feed the animal, have made a global call for suggestions from experts in Africa, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong, where pangolins live and have been recorded born in captivity.
Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata)
- It is also called scaly anteater
- Indian pangolin, also called thick-tailed pangolin, is one of the eight pangolin species found across the world.
- Characteristics: Indian Pangolins have overlapping scales that act as armour for its body.
- It is native to the Indian subcontinent.
- It is mainly found in rainforests and in the hills of India and parts of Sri Lanka.
- It is also found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
- It inhabits grasslands and secondary forests and can also survive in dry and desert regions.
- In the wild, it survive on ants, termites and other invertebrates, such as larvae, flies, worms, earthworms and crickets
- Threats: it is threatened by hunting for its meat and various body parts, which are used in traditional medicines.
Conservation status
- CITES: listed under Appendix I
- IUCN Red List: ‘Endangered’
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: protected under Schedule I
Exam Track
Prelims Takeaway
- IUCN
- CITES
- WPA
- Indian and Chinese Pangolin