Pangolins are one of the most trafficked animals in the world.
Wildlife trafficking is the second largest black market in the world, and one animal that is trafficked more than any other animal. Highlighting the same, Indian Forest Service officer, Parveen Kaswan on Sunday shared a video of the second most trafficked mammal on the planet and provided details about it. He said that during the smuggling, his team managed to rescue the man seen in the picture.
Sharing the video, he wrote, ‘Did you know it is the second most trafficked mammal on the planet. The shy and harmless creatures are trafficked in thousands every year. It was released by our teams after being rescued from the smuggler.
Watch the video here:
Did you know that it is the second most trafficked mammal on the planet? The shy and harmless creatures are trafficked in thousands every year. Our teams released it after rescuing it from the smuggler. pic.twitter.com/JfdHFoAS7F
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) February 19, 2023
The forest official said that pangolins are traded for their scales, which are used in traditional medicines. “The first is man. Pangolins are found in almost all the forests of India. Indian pangolins in all except the Northeast. Chinese pangolin in the Northeast. They are smuggled for their scales. Which are considered to be of medicinal importance. mainly in Chinese traditional medicine,” he wrote.
Since being shared, the video has riled up social media users and garnered over 3600 likes and 280 retweets. Many people thanked Mr. Kaswan for saving the pangolin and introducing them to this one-of-a-kind animal species. One user wrote, ‘Keep up the good work. Your photographic skills are excellent.
Another commented, “I strongly believe that the laws for poaching and other wildlife related crimes need to be more stringent. Poachers and animal organ traffickers know that Indian laws are lenient when it comes to these crimes and so they continue to do so. Life imprisonment or death with poachers.” A third added, “The most beautiful and peaceful species that play their part on this planet must be protected.”
There are eight species of pangolins, four in Asia and four in Africa. They are all protected by international treaties, while two are endangered, according to CNN,
The main demand for pangolin scales is from Asia. In Vietnam and China, their meat is prized, while their scales are used for medicinal purposes. Some cultures believe that pangolin scales can cure cancer and increase lactation in women.
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