Wildlife enthusiasts of Bellary have helped the police unearth an organised racket in wildlife trade involving hunting and trading of pangolin - the scaly ant eater in the Kamalapur area of the district.

Over a thousand pangolins are said to have been caught and killed by the poachers over the last one month alone, due to the demand for the harmless anteater in the international illicit market. Pangolin scales are believed to have medicinal properties, including a cure for venereal diseases.

Members of the Society for Wildlife and Nature (Swan) busted a ring engaged in illegal trade of pangolin trade on Thursday, helping police arrest a man identified as Babu, who has named persons from Sandur, Kurugod and Gangavathi, who are said to be a part of the organised crime.

“According to our information, at least a thousand of these creatures have been killed,” said Santosh Martin of Swan. “This is just the tip of the iceberg as many more are involved in this crime not only in Bellary district but also in Bangalore and Delhi,” he said.

A complete ban on international pangolin trade, was adopted by Parties to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in 2000. Pangolin is an endangered mammal placed in schedule I of of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

This ground-dwelling, scaled animal measures close to one metre in length and weighs about two kg. Completely covered from the neck to the tip of the tail with hard armour-like scales, this unusual creature closely resembles the new-world armadillo. B K Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden said he had deputed ACF Ranebennur to the spot to report on the incident.

DH News Service