Rare Indian Pangolin rescued near LoC in Rajouri

The Indian Army and the Wildlife Protection Department rescued an Indian Pangolin, a critically endangered species, from a forest near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, officials said on Friday.

The Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is listed as a Schedule-I animal



under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and is categorised as critically endangered in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is a rare and elusive species, highly sought after in the grey market (animal trafficking) due to its hard body scales, which are considered very precious, they said.