Endangered pangolin most vulnerable in Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: In Uttarakhand, the sapera and kanjar nomadic communities have been poaching the endangered pangolin for its meat and scales especially in the forests of Dehradun and Haridwar for many years. The demand for the animal is believed to be at an all-time high because of its body parts allegedly being used in Chinese medicine. Out of 70 kg of pangolin scales seized by CBI in New Delhi recently, it is alleged that 30% came from Uttarakhand.
Taking note of the seriousness of the problem, member countries of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna ( CITES) recently pressed for a crackdown on the pangolin trade. But experts say enforcing ban on trade in Uttarakhand difficult since Sapera and other communities form substantial vote bank.
Tito Joseph, program manager of Wildlife Protection Society of India said, “At CITES convention held recently, a proposal to push the Indian pangolin to CITES Appendix I was introduced by India and backed by most of the countries including . The Indian pangolin was finally uplisted to Appendix 1, followed by three species from Asia and four from Africa. This exercise enforces worldwide trade ban for the pangolin, the most trafficked animal of the world.” Nishant Verma, deputy director , Wildlife Crime Control Bureau said, “We are certainly tracking the illegal trade of pangolin meat and scale, owing to which we confiscated the big haul of pangolin body parts in New Delhi,” he said. The reliable sources confirmed that 30% of the total consignment of Pengolin came from Uttarakhand.
According to Abhishek Singh, wildlife activist of EFFECT organization, these communities poach pangolin mostly in winter with the help of their trained dogs after Monsoon, when the species is not much visible This winter, they have pegged minimum price of Rs 7000/kg for pangolin scale among themselves which multiplies further in the network of traders. A pangolin gives around 2 kg of scale.
PK Patro, divisional forest official of Dehradun said, lot of seizures of pangolin meat and scales were made in the communities colonies situated in Dehradun last year. The communities which have developed as a significant vote bank also throw lot of weight and injured forest employees during the raids. He said, they are developing a network of informers among these communities itself to keep tab on their poaching activities of pangolin. Another official pointed out that in order to appease the communities for vote bank, they are discouraged by the politicians to crack down on their colonies.