Indian Pangolin rescued near LoC in Rajouri dist

The animal is categorised as critically endangered in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

An Indian Pangolin, categorised as a critically endangered species, was rescued on Thursday from a forest area along the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani area of Rajouri district, officials said, adding that the army and the wildlife protection department rescued it.

The Indian Pangolin after it was rescued by the army and the wildlife protection department in Rajouri on Friday. (PTI)

“It was never sighted in the Rajouri and Poonch wildlife division. This is for the first time ever that we have found a live Indian Pangolin here,” said Amit Kumar Sharma, wildlife warden of the Rajouri-Poonch division .

The animal is categorised as critically endangered in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

“The rare and elusive species largely survives on ants. The one rescued is an adult male. We are feeding mashed boiled eggs with milk powder to it. It is eating well and had water. We will shift it to our rescue centre in Manda,” said the official.

The pangolins are highly sought after by animal traffickers in the black market.

In the past decade, more than one million pangolins have been poached from the wild because of high demand for their meat, scales and skins.

Sharma said the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar has successfully bred pangolins and the wildlife authorities in Jammu and Kashmir may seek their expertise.

“For now, we are shifting the rescued pangolin to Manda rescue centre, where dedicated staff will look after it,” said the official.

“This rescue operation is a significant milestone for Rajouri and a valuable addition to the biodiversity of the Rajouri-Poonch wildlife division. We appreciate the support of the army in this endeavour,” he added.