Imphal: A rare and endangered baby Chinese Pangolin locally known as ‘Saphu’ was rescued from a place along the Manipur-Myanmar border.
The rescued animal species was released into the wild at Langol Punsilok hill range in Imphal West district.
A team of wildlife lovers from the Manipur University (MU) and a group of tribal villagers residing along the border rescued the endangered species from Pampang Khunou of Manipur’s Tengnoupal district bordering Myanmar on Saturday.
A team of border denizens including Dm James Maring, Khulpuwa Solomon Maring (MSc Forestry NERIST), Dm Angkham Dangshawa (BSC Forestry CHF Pasighat), Ch Kelvin Maring, and wildlife researcher Yengkhom Roamer handed the pangolin to the Manipur Zoological Garden (MZG), which is home to about 400 common and rare species of animals and birds.
But the authorities of the MZG refused to conserve it owing to the lack of its staff.
Later, the endangered species listed in the IUCN‘s Appendix-I of CITES was handed over to a team of environmentalists M Loya, MU Forestry faculty Dr. L Romeechand and Yengkhom Roamer’s team.
Later, the teams released the pangolin into the wild at the Langol Punsilok hill range with the assistance of the Wildlife and Habitat Protection Society (WAHPS) on Sunday.
The environmentalists stated that the pangolins are among the highest-trafficked mammals in the world and also thanked Kampang Khunou villagers and WAHPS.