‘Endangered pangolins thrive in Margalla Hills’

Islamabad :The endangered species of Pangolins are thriving in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) which is a scaly anteater and the most trafficked mammal in the world use to protect forest trees from termites.

The MHNP homes some 38 mammals, 27 reptiles, and over 600 plant species, and no doubt it is the habitat of the endangered scaly anteater under threat of poaching, hunting, and human conflicts, said Manager Operations Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), Sakhwat Ali, while talking to this agency.

Sakhawat said the IWMB officials had confiscated around six pangolins from the poachers and released them in the wild. He said the increase in protection increases the number of species, adding, animal population disperses after the rise in the number and becomes conspicuous to people.

“The IWMB official informed that more protection leads to preservation and then to conservation that helped to completely protect the environment. Overpopulation of any wild species needed management which was the fourth step of the above mentioned,” he said. Pakistan Wildlife Foundation (PWF) Vice Chairman Safwan Ahmed told that there were eight species of pangolin, four each in Asia and Africa and it was not found anywhere else in the world. “All our species of Pangolins are endangered. The Chinese pangolin is near extinction or critically endangered,” he highlighted.

He informed that the Indian pangolin species was found throughout the country except for Gilgit Baltistan (GB). Safwan mentioned that the scales of pangolin were used by the mammal for its defence and that was why called scaly anteater eating termites and ants diet.

In the past two decades, he said pangolins were overhunted globally for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for medicinal purposes. Pangolin’s soup was allegedly consumed by the Chinese elite as a cure to many diseases but it was not proven scientifically. Initially, the gypsies used to poach and sell it for Rs20,000 to smugglers who used to sell it internationally for Rs400,000 which has now been sold for Rs2million. He regretted that the regional bodies established to stop pangolins poaching mainly SAWAN, TRAFFIC in South Asia, and CITES have unfortunately failed to achieve their goal. PWF survey in 2019 regrettably found no species of Pangolins in their based habitats in Karak and DI Khan that was searched thoroughly. During the survey, he said there were many myths found by the Foundation. In KP, there is one myth that Pangolin eats infants of humans died in 100 days.

In Punjab, as per the myth, the people call it sinister and believe that it creates burrows in graves.

He pointed out that Pangolins were only found in the Potohar region of Punjab province as in central Punjab intensive cultivation completely vanished rodents and reptiles of all species. Interestingly, he said the AJK myth claimed that if one hung Pangolin’s scales around a cow or buffalo’s neck it will never lose its fertility and protects her calf from wild animal attacks. In Sindh, it was considered ominous and its scales were used for black magic and conjuring to satiate the envious nature of people whereas, in Balochistan, women with infertility were given grinded scales to bear kids, he added.

To a question, he said in Islamabad he frequently witnessed pangolins twice a year and also received phone calls from volunteers in F-7, F-8, and G-9 sectors to report the presence of pangolins. He added that they were mainly residing in these sectors due to nullahs and old vegetation suitable for their survival. “99% people do not dare to touch a pangolin due to its scary appearance with the perception that it may harm their life which is completely wrong as it’s a very innocent animal.