West Bengal: Pangolin rescued from poachers in Jalpaiguri, one arrested

Jalpaiguri: A pangolin was rescued from a village adjoining Baikunthapur forest in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal and a poacher was arrested in this connection, forest officials said on Wednesday.

Acting on a tip-off, the Special Task Force of the North Bengal Forest Division raided Mantadari village on Tuesday and rescued the pangolin, which is a critically- endangered animal, from the possession of poacher Fajnu Mohammad, Baikunthapur Forest Ranger Sanjay Dutta said.

The arrested person has revealed that the pangolin was meant to be smuggled to Siliguri, he said, adding that Mohammad was involved in other poaching cases in the past.

From Siliguri, the pangolin could have been trafficked abroad, forest officials said.
The rescued pangolin was released in the Bengal Safari Park near Siliguri.

Pangolins from the region are often trafficked to China, where its meat is consumed and scales used for medicinal purposes, they said.