Nepal’s frontline communities need help and resources to save pangolins

Many people around the world know what a pangolin is. Pangolins have garnered global attention as the most trafficked mammal in the world. In the past year, pangolins came into the spotlight because of widespread suspicion that a pangolin served as an intermediary source of COVID-19. Wildlife conservation conferences, wildlife trade reports, and important policy documents hardly miss pangolins these days – here they have focused attention. However, the frontline authorities and communities living with the pangolins know very little about them.
Pangolins, known as unique scaly anteaters, are on the verge of extinction due to poaching and habitat destruction. Experts have warned that some pangolin species, including Chinese pangolins, could go extinct if the threats they face continue. Nepal is home to two pangolin species: the Chinese pangolin and the Indian pangolin; both species reside outside protected areas for the most part.