Pangolins Walk Out Of Wild
Author:
First published in Sanctuary Asia,
Vol. 31
No. 7,
July 2011
The animal lovers are happy because more sightings could mean that the population of the scaly ant-eating mammal is increasing but they are also concerned because it could also indicate that the animals are losing their homes and entering human habitation in search of food and shelter.
In the past one month, three Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) were caught by the people of Tirpai and the villages of Bongbusty, 3km from here, and Upper Ecchey, about 10km from Kalimpong.
The three animals were handed over to the forest department.
Chinese Pangolins are covered with protective scales. An adult pangolin has 15 to 18 rows of overlapping scales along with hair, a rare combination among mammals. Each pangolin weighs around 2.4kg. Read the full report here.
Source: Rajeev Ravidas, The Telegraph, Kalimpong.
