However, the courts have never initiated an inquiry into the disappearance of the pangolin parts, no one has ever been prosecuted for the theft, and the department officials from whose custody the scales and other goods were stolen have escaped any censure.
The work of the forest department is also hampered by the fact that wildlife departments in Pakistan are overwhelmed. The Sindh Wildlife Department has sole responsibility for protection and conservation of local as well as migratory animals and birds in the province, but they do not have the resources to manage this, “Funds are not enough, even for wildlife conservation,” said one official.
As a result, the department does not carry out any survey of the fauna it is supposed to be protected, whether the pangolin or any other animal. Small-scale surveys are being conducted only on migratory birds, said the official. Without such data, the department is completely dependent on anecdotal knowledge when it comes to the distribution of the animals, their number, and the level of their decline.
Demand driven by China
Some officials say that pangolin meat is being sold in the local market, as people coming from China like it. A large number of Chinese people are staying in Karachi, working on projects related to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). But these allegations have never been formally investigated or proven.
International concern over the pangolin, the most trafficked animal in the world, is revealing new data about trafficking of pangolin parts, even if the government departments are still slow to act. WWF Pakistan recently conducted a detailed survey whose draft was shared with the author on pangolins in the country. The survey was conducted in animal markets to assess the scale of pangolin trade from different cities in Pakistan (Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi/Islamabad and Muzaffarabad), and the route and processes through which they were trafficked.
The WWF surveyed 239 shops, including bird and pet stores, herbalists, street vendors from Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad and Karachi. “It was observed that all were involved in the illegal trade of all species of wildlife, including Indian pangolins, and other CITES listed species. Derivatives of mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates are being sold by street vendors and herbalists. These medicines are commonly sold in the form of powder and ointments and used to cure muscular and joint pain and are believed to have aphrodisiac properties,” the report said.
Karachi and Lahore hosted the highest numbers of shops dealing in illegal wildlife trade followed by Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Muzaffarabad. Airports in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi are critical to the international pangolin trade. The China and Afghanistan borders are also highly strategic places where there is high potential for this trade. So far, though, limited surveillance has meant that there is no evidence whether these borders are being used for this purpose.
Riaz Hussain, a wildlife zoologist and a member of the IUCN Special Survival Commission Pangolin Special Group, said, “Massive smuggling of pangolins has been recorded from Kashmir and Punjab to China. We got cases registered against 50 such people involved in the smuggling.” Whether it was due to this, or other factors, smuggling has gone down a bit in Punjab in recent years.
Hussain, who is also Chairman Zoology Department, Horizon Postgraduate College Chakwal, said that there was no government protection of the pangolin in Pakistan. “In October 2018, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Environment to look at this matter and a draft was prepared, but no follow up meeting was held.” He said that practically no action has been taken.
Some officials say that pangolin meat is being sold in the local market, as people coming from China like it. A large number of Chinese people are staying in Karachi, working on projects related to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). But these allegations have never been formally investigated or proven.
International concern over the pangolin, the most trafficked animal in the world, is revealing new data about trafficking of pangolin parts, even if the government departments are still slow to act. WWF Pakistan recently conducted a detailed survey whose draft was shared with the author on pangolins in the country. The survey was conducted in animal markets to assess the scale of pangolin trade from different cities in Pakistan (Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi/Islamabad and Muzaffarabad), and the route and processes through which they were trafficked.
The WWF surveyed 239 shops, including bird and pet stores, herbalists, street vendors from Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad and Karachi. “It was observed that all were involved in the illegal trade of all species of wildlife, including Indian pangolins, and other CITES listed species. Derivatives of mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates are being sold by street vendors and herbalists. These medicines are commonly sold in the form of powder and ointments and used to cure muscular and joint pain and are believed to have aphrodisiac properties,” the report said.
Karachi and Lahore hosted the highest numbers of shops dealing in illegal wildlife trade followed by Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Muzaffarabad. Airports in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi are critical to the international pangolin trade. China and Afghanistan borders are also highly strategic places where there is a high potential for this trade. So far, though, limited surveillance has meant that there is no evidence whether these borders are being used for this purpose.
Riaz Hussain, a wildlife zoologist and a member of the IUCN Special Survival Commission Pangolin Special Group, said, “Massive smuggling of pangolins has been recorded from Kashmir and Punjab to China. We got cases registered against 50 such people involved in the smuggling.” Whether it was due to this, or other factors, smuggling has gone down a bit in Punjab in recent years.
Hussain, who is also Chairman Zoology Department, Horizon Postgraduate College Chakwal, said that there was no government protection of the pangolin in Pakistan. “In October 2018, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Environment to look at this matter and a draft was prepared, but no follow up meeting was held.” He said that practically no action has been taken.
But before the big challenges are dealt with, the public perception of the animal has to change. A few years ago a local Sindhi newspaper, Kawish, ran a story that a dangerous animal was caught by people. The animal photographed was a pangolin.
Abdul Ghaffar Bhutto, a teacher of zoology, wrote to the editor of that newspaper to complain, explaining that the pangolin is an innocent anteater. There needs to be a better understanding of the animal and its plight both among the general public but also among the media, Bhutto said, with its portrayal as a dangerous animal putting it in further jeopardy.
Shahid Shah is a Daniel Pearl and Geo Journalism fellow reporting on economic, development, climate, agriculture and water issues.
This article was originally published on The Third Pole and has been reproduced with permission.