Endangered Chinese pangolin rescued in Gorkha

Guna Bahadur Roka,Sulikot, Aug. 8: An endangered Chinese pangolin was rescued in Gorkha from a local’s house on Tuesday afternoon.

Locals informed the police after a pangolin entered the house of a local in Dharmalchok, Arughat Municipality-9. A team from the Arughat Area Police Office rescued the pangolin and handed it over to the Division Forest Office in Gorkha, said Mahesh Poudel, Information Officer at the Division Forest Office, Gorkha.

According to Poudel, with the assistance of staff from the Division Forest Office and officials and members of the community forest, the pangolin was safely transported to a secure location in the Taksartari Community Forest, Gorkha Municipality-9, at 5 pm the same day.

The Division Forest Office in Gorkha said that due to continuous heavy rainfall over the past year, the habitat of the pangolins might have been flooded, forcing the pangolins to venture into human settlements.

 Pangolins primarily inhabit areas with abundant Sal trees and places where humans have stopped living and no agricultural activities take place. 

Endangered pangolins are highly valuable and are often targeted by illegal poachers. Poudel said, “The outer scales and the whole body of the pangolin are sold at high prices abroad, which leads to illegal trafficking.”

According to Madan Mohan Shandilya, Chief of the Division Forest Office, Gorkha, anyone found involved in the illegal trafficking of pangolins will face fines ranging from Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 1 million and imprisonment from five to 15 years, as clearly outlined in the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Regulation) Act 2073.

Pangolins are also considered beneficial to farmers. Shandilya said, “Since pangolins primarily feed on ants and termites, they help control these pests that can otherwise destroy crops. Therefore, their presence can help protect agricultural fields.”