The Maharashtra Forest Department is set to be the first state in India to have a dedicated action plan for conservation of pangolins – the world’s most trafficked animal.

Penny Banham, Born Free’s Conservation Projects Officer, said: “Pangolin populations across Africa and Asia have been devastated by the demand for their scales, meat and other body parts. There are as many as 200,000 pangolins being killed each year for the trade. The regularity in which pangolin poaching has been recorded across India is concerning and highlights the urgent need for bold action to secure a future for an animal who we know so little about, yet plays such a pivotal role in their ecosystem. 

“We welcome and applaud the formation of this conservation action plan in Maharashtra, Central India, as a vital first step in halting the illegal trade of pangolins and securing their persistence in the wild. We hope that other states in India follow this example and pave the way for effective conservation action.”

Born Free also supports Wildlife Protection Society India in their efforts to stop the illegal trade of pangolins in Odisha, India.