The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN

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Pangolin is nocturnal and spends the day
underground in burrows or under rocks and
conceals the entrance of the burrow with loose
earth, making detection difficult. This species usually
gives birth to a single young during January, July
and November.
Conservation Status
Global: Near Threatened
National: Endangered B1ab (iii,v)
Rationale for assessment: The Indian Pangolin
(Manis crassicaudata) has been nationally assessed
as Endangered under criterion B in view of a limited
extent of occurrence of approximately 3,000 km 2
from three locations between which it is unlikely
the species intermixes due to habitat fragmentation
between protected areas and poaching for body
parts (scales) for trade.
Legal Status
CITES Appendix II. Listed in the National Parks and
Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 (1973) as protected
priority species.
National Population Size
The current population size of the Indian Pangolin
is not known, however indicators point towards
declining population.
National Distribution
This species occurs in Bardia National Park, Chitwan
National Park, Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve and
surrounding districts (Bara, Chitwan, Parsa).
81) Manis pentadactyla (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Names
Chinese Pangolin (English); Kalo Salak (Nepali)
Synonyms
Manis auritus (Hodgson, 1836); Phateges bengalensis,
Pholidotus assamensis (Fitzinger, 1872)
Species Description
Smaller than the Indian Pangolin with smaller scales
Distribution outside Nepal
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
Main Threats
• Poaching for trade in skin and scales for
medicinal purposes and for subsistence.
• Persecution.
• Habitat loss and degradation due to conversion
of land for agriculture, livestock grazing,
clearing of woodlands.
• Habitat fragmentation due to loss of
connectivity of suitable habitat between
protected areas.
Conservation Measures in Place
None.
Conservation Recommendations
i) Conduct surveys using camera trapping and
indirect sign surveys and local interviews to obtain
estimates of occupancy, index of population
abundance and baseline line data on threats.
ii) Develop and implement species action plan
(combined with the Chinese Pangolin) including
management of key habitats.
iii) Start community-based initiatives to discourage
use and illegal trade in the species’ body parts
and to reduce persecution, including developing
alternative sources of income-generating activities
for families which depend on pangolin trade.
iv) Increase awareness and education programmes
targeted towards this species.
References
Heath 1995, Suwal and Verheugt 1995, CITES 2000, Molur et al. 2005, Baral and Shah 2008,
Smith and Xie 2008, Prativa Kaspal (pers.comm.) 2009.