Pangolin rescued to natural habitat in Makawanpur

Bagmati Province, Thaha Municipality, 28th June 2020

Local youths were curious when they first saw the animal crossing the road and started making noise since most of them had not seen the species before and were unaware that it’s a pangolin. On June 28, 2020, 8:15 P.M. Dipak Raj Basnet, Wildlife Biologist of Nature Conservation Initiative Nepal (NCI-Nepal) also a local resident of Thaha Municipality-2 received a call from his local friend to observe an unknown species that has been accidentally trapped in local drainage. Numbers of local inhabitants were already there. They were trying to move the species with long bamboos and rods. Basnet of NCI-Nepal was well aware of handling pangolin and after having to inform local police, he started rescuing the pangolins with the help of local youths. After 2 hours of effort, the species was moved to sideway without any injury. Basnet identified it to be a critically endangered male Chinese Pangolin. Basnet found the local youths very curious to know about the species and its handling. The ecological significance of the species was briefly shared with the local people present. Basnet assumed that this nocturnal dwelling animal might have come out of the nearby forests and might have missed the way back forests. According to Basnet, besides some anecdotal reports on its presence in the area, this species has been sighted for the first time in the northern part of Thaha municipality. In the next day, the rescued animal was handed to forest officer Krishna Sharma of Sub Division Forest Office, Palung to release the pangolin in its natural habitat then the species was released in the Pataleshwor Community Forest.