By Purushottam Khatri

Kathmandu, Nov. 8: Smuggling of the endangered pangolin – the shy and scaly mammal - is posing a threat to its very survival in Nepal.

Police say that the trafficking of the animal and its parts has shown no signs of abating despite tight vigilance. The mammal is reported to be mostly smuggled out of the country from eastern and central Nepal.

Apart from the illegal trade of these mammals poached within the country, Nepal is also becoming a transit for this animal that comes from India.

“The smuggling of the pangolin’s scales and hides depends on the demand of the market. The agents hire poor rural people by visiting selected districts for their smuggling,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Prabin Pokharel.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) is investigating into the smuggling of this species with special focus.

The United Nations convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) that ended on October 5 had also banned its trade globally.

“The illegal trade of the little known pangolin, locally known as Salak, has increased almost 800 per cent based on the seizures by the concerned authorities between 2009 and 2015,” said DSP Pokharel, who is looking into the pangolin smuggling operation.

“We are very concerned and have made efforts to protect the tiger and rhino, which have found global recognition, but little concern is shown to the illegal trade of an equally important animal, the pangolin, in Nepal,” said DSP Pokharel.

Annually, an estimated 100 pangolins are illegally traded from Nepal, but if the viewpoint of the locals is to be considered, the number may cross 1,000, said DSP Pokharel.

Owning to the high demand of its scales and meat, which is consumed as a delicacy or in traditional medicine, poaching of the pangolin and its illegal trade are thriving in Nepal, DSP Pokharel said.

The major market for the species is China and neighbouring South-east Asian countries, said DSP Pokharel.

In Nepal, Chinese and Indian pangolins are under immense threat from the illegal wildlife trade, especially for their meat and scales. There are eight types of pangolins found in the world.

In a recent study conducted by a team of young Nepali researchers, it was found that the Kathmandu-Kodari-Tibet route is used for the illegal trade in pangolins, said Kumar Paudel, one of the researchers.

According to Paudel, the forests in the eastern region as well as in Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Bhaktapur, Dolakha, Makwanpur and Dhading are the habitats of two species of pangolins--Chinese pangolin (Tame Salak) and Indian pangolin (Kalo Salak).

Wildlife expert Karan Shah said the major challenge faced in the protection of the pangolin is the lack of awareness and information about the existence of the animal.

A kilo of the animal’s scales fetches more than Rs. 50,000 in Nepal while the same amount will fetch millions in the international market, it is said.

As per the law, a person convicted of smuggling pangolin parts faces a jail term of five to 10 years or a fine between Rs 40,000 to Rs 70,000 or both.