VISAKHAPATNAM: Pango lins are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world. The World Pangolin Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of February, (February 20 this year) for raising awareness on their importance and plight. “The population of the harmless mammal has been decreasing at an alarming rate,” says Anantha Shankar, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Visakhapatnam Range. Pangolins are nature’s pest controllers as they survive solely on termites and ants. In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified all the eight species of pangolin as “threatened” to “critically endangered”.
The Indian pangolin can be spotted in and around Visakhapatnam. Pangolin scales made up of keratin, the same material that makes human hair and nails, are used by the Chinese for medicinal purposes, the DFO says. “They believe pangolin scales have medicinal benefits and that it will cure many diseases including cancer. But researchers have proven that it is nothing but a myth,” he explained. The DFO states that the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department has busted several pangolin poachers over the years. “Two injured pangolins were rescued and left into the wild in Visakhapatnam in August- September, 2020,” he said.
Pangolins have a large muscular tail and are covered with armour-like overlapping scales that protect it from predators. Almost looks like a mythical creature, pangolins live deep in the ground. Their burrowing nature is one of the many reasons why they are difficult to catch or study. They are also nocturnal and solitary mammals. When a pangolin is threatened or attacked, it rolls up into a ball and emits an unpleasant smell. Pangolins also escape predators by climbing trees, digging burrows and even forming a ball and rolling down the hills.
Pranav Tamarapalli, Wildlife Conversationalist of the East Coast Conservation Team (ECCT) and GreenPaw, said the mammals are inexplicably tortured in the name of medicinal values. “Awareness should be created on the need to protect pangolins,” he said. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park curator Nandani Salaria said the World Pangolin Day is an opportunity to educate people on the need to protect pangolins.