Subscribe Now

Odisha tops in pangolin poaching and trafficking

Sampad Mohapatra

Pangolin Trafficking

Over 1,000 pangolins were poached and trafficked in India between 2018 and 2022. Pangolin Poaching and Trafficking rising.

By Sampad Mohapatra Sampad Mohapatra

In the last five years, 1,203 Indian pangolins were poached and trafficked in the illegal wildlife trade in the country. A wildlife crime detection wing of the World Wide Fund for Nature – India (WWF-I). reports.

In India, Odisha reported the maximum number of seizures and the number of pangolins seized was 154.

Over 1,000 pangolins were poached and trafficked in India between 2018 and 2022. In India, Odisha reported the maximum number of seizures and the number of pangolins seized was 154.

Download Full report

In India, TRAFFIC has found over 1000 pangolins in the illegal wildlife trade from 2018–2022. Over 880 kg of pangolin derivatives and 199 live pangolins were reported in 342 seizure incidents in the five years. Pangolins are poached mainly for international markets in China and Southeast Asia.

TRAFFIC reports that 50% of seizures included live pangolins and 40% involved pangolin scales. These are used as an ingredient in traditional medicine in China and Southeast Asia. 

Findings of the TRAFFIC

At least 1203 pangolins were found in the illegal wildlife trade in India during 2018-2022. There were 342 incidents of pangolin seizures, representing approximately 1025 numbers and 885 kg of pangolins and their derivatives.

Twenty-four states and one Union Territory (UT) of India reported seizures of pangolins and their derivatives.

Odisha reported the maximum number of seizure incidents and the number of pangolins seized i.e.154 pangolins in 74 seizures. Seizures reported live pangolins and their derivatives such as scales, carcasses, skins, claws, meat, bones, and other body parts.

Odisha tops in illegal pangolin trade

Live pangolins represented 50% of the seizure incidences and accounted for 199 animals. Most reported seizure incidents and the number of live pangolins were from Odisha, followed by Maharashtra.

Indian Pangolin has been assessed as‘Endangered’ and the Chinese Pangolin as ‘Critically Endangered’

Pangolin scales represented more than 40% of the reported seizures. 943 pangolins in the illegal wildlife trade during 2018-2022. Odisha reported the highest number of seizures of pangolin scales with 30 incidents, followed by 26 incidents in Madhya Pradesh.

Pangolin scales equating to 129 pangolins were seized in Karnataka. This was followed by Tamil Nadu, with about 125 pangolins poached for the trade of scales.

The Indian Pangolin and the Chinese Pangolin, are both threatened by poaching and illegal trafficking of their derivatives to Asia. India is a source country for pangolin derivatives trafficked in illegal international trade.

, ,
, , , , ,