First photographic evidence of the Indian pangolin Manis crassicaudata from Saranda Forest Division, Jharkhand, India
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: I ndia is home to two species of pangolin, the Indian pangolin Manis crassicaudata and the Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla, which are categorized as Endangered and Critically Endangered, respectively, on the IUCN Red List.The Indian pangolin falls under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, , and is listed in Appendix I of CITES due to the rapid decline in its population.It is widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent, occurring in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal (Mohapatra et al., , Traffic Bulletin, , -).Globally, pangolins are the most trafficked mammals and face serious threats from hunting for meat, spiritual and ritualistic uses, and use of their scales in traditional medicines (Anon., , CITES Animals Committee).Although pangolins have been recorded in Jharkhand through wildlife trade and trafficking incidents, which highlight the significance of domestic trafficking routes in eastern India, no confirmed presence records have been documented from the state (Gomez et al., , European Journal of Wildlife Research, , ; Rana & Kumar, , Biodiversity and Conservation, , -).Saranda Forest Division, an area of km , is one of the largest continuous Sal forests located in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, India.Saranda is a human-dominated landscape facing various anthropogenic pressures including mining, hunting, lopping and illegal settlement.We deployed camera traps in Saranda Forest Division during April-July and November -June .Only two photographs of the Indian pangolin were captured, on the top of a hillock (elevation m), at . on May .
Source: Oryx
Institution: Wildlife Institute of India
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,550
OpenAlex ID: W7225417196