Sign In
Learn bits
Ecology & Environment
Pradeep Kumar

09/05/21 12:20 PM IST

World’s most trafficked mammal

In news

Pangolins, despite being listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 continue to be the world’s most trafficked mammal

Issue
  • The primary demand for its scales in the making of traditional East Asian medicines has led to an estimated illegal trade worth $2.5 billion every year.
  • To enforce the appropriate national and international laws and to track the decline of the species, researchers of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata, have now developed tools to tell apart the scales of Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).
  • Studies have shown that between 2000 and 2019, an estimate of about 8,95,000 pangolins was trafficked globally, which mainly involved Asian and African pangolins.
  • This has led to a drastic decline of the species.
Solutions
  • According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Indian pangolins are endangered and the Chinese pangolins are critically endangered.
  • Therefore, it is important to develop protocols that can readily identify species and the number of individuals poached in seizures.
Source: The Hindu

More Related Current Affairs View All

23 Sep

Quad grouping

'Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the United States, where he will participate in the fourth Quad Leaders Summit in Wilmington, Delaware.' Quad s the grouping of four de

Read More

21 Sep

India Achieves Tier 1 Status in Global Cybersecurity Index 2024

' India has secured Tier 1 status in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024, published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).' The GCI is a comprehensive assessm

Read More

21 Sep

A new White Revolution

'Operation Flood, launched in 1970, ushered in the White Revolution and transformed the dairy sector in India.' Dairy cooperatives procured 660 lakh kg of milk per day in 2023-2

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps