Jeypore: The rise in trafficking of ant-eater pangolin has brought the mammal to the verge of extinction in undivided Koraput district with the smugglers engaging the gullible and naïve tribals to traffic the mammal out of the state, say the sources.
Loss of forest cover and biological diversity in the undivided Koraput district has led to rise in the smuggling of the mammal. Chinese demand for the pangolin, a scale-covered anteater, is the driving force which has brought the endangered animals closer to extinction, wildlife activists said.
Pangolins are disappearing in Odisha and across the country. They have become the most frequently seized mammals in Asia’s illegal wildlife trade, as smugglers sell the creatures to meet culinary and medicinal demand of the Chinese.
This apart, the animal scales are used to make bullet proof jackets for Army personnel. Consequently, the traffickers manage to traffick the animal with the help of gullible tribals for money. Observers claimed the forests in undivided Koaraput district house various rare animals but depletion of forest has led to their extinction.
Trafficking of the mammals has caused concern of forest personnel who rescued three pangolins in a month and arrested 14 persons in Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts.
However, the traffickers have managed to smuggle mammals by enagaing tribals. Forest personnel raided Maidalpur village under Papadahandi block in Nabarangpur district and seized a pangolin while arresting two persons for the offence December 4. Two tribals Raisingh Jani and Bhima Jani of Kasaru in Maidalpur were arrested and a pangolin weighing 13 kg was seized from them.
Police and forest officials jointly arrested five persons including two women and rescued a pangolin from them at Gunupur bus stand December 23. The team intercepted a car and seized a pangolin. The accused were identified as Ashis Das, Balaram Behera, Subhalakhsmi Behera, Amulya Barik and Lakshmi. The accused confessed to their crime and said they brought the mammal from Padmapur forest and were taking it to Bhubaneswar.
The forest personnel also busted pangolin smuggling racket in Malkangiri December 12. They seized a pangolin and arrested seven persons including a teacher for the offence. The breeding season of the mammal is winter. The animal lives for 20 years and lives on insects and worms.
When contacted, Jeypore DFO said they were taking steps to clamp down on the illegal trade.
PNN
