UPSC Articles
Indian pangolin
Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Conservation; Endangered Species
In news:
- Telangana Forest Department has exposed the rampant poaching of pangolins in the forests of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- Three to four kilograms of pangolin scales were seized, for seized from the gang, for which three to five animals might have been killed.
Do you know?
- Recently, China is reported to have imposed a ban on wildlife meat and removed pangolin scales from its list of approved traditional medicine, in the context of the COVID19 spread.
- Pangolins are among the world’s most trafficked mammals.
From Prelims Point of view:
Indian pangolin:
- Has thick scaly skin
- Hunted for meat and used in traditional Chinese medicine.
- Pangolins are among the most trafficked wildlife species in the world.
- Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian and the Chinese pangolins are found in India.
- Both these species are listed under Schdule I Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
IUCN Red List
- Indian Pangolin: Endangered
- Chinese Pangolin: Critically Endangered
