Bargarh: A pangolin was rescued by the villagers at Remta village under Barpalli block of Bargarh district last night.
According to villagers, they heard a pangolin screaming, they went near it and rescued. The villagers kept the animal inside the club of the village.
Later, in the morning the villagers informed the forest officials of the Bargarh range about the pangolin. On being informed, the forest officials reached, rescued and kept it at the forest headquarters.
Recently, The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch rescued a live pangolin with the arrest of two wildlife criminals during a raid in Khordha on October 8. During the search, one live Pangolin, one TATA Indigo Car bearing Regd No. OD 24 A 5569 and other incriminating materials were seized from their possession.
On Sep 1, the Forest Department of Baliguda Forest Division rescued a live pangolin and four illegal traders were arrested in this connection.
The arrested persons have been identified as Bhimsen Badaset of Parigad village under Kotgarh Police Station, Sitanshu Mukhi of Tikabali, Mahadev Beherdalai of Mahasingha village and Sukadev Digal of Jangugan.
The rescued pangolin is said to be 105 cm long and weighted 10 kg, informed DFO.
During the last one year, a special drive against wildlife criminals/poachers have been launched, STF has seized as many as 16 leopard skins, nine elephant tusks, two deer skins, five live pangolins, and 15 kg pangolin scales and arrested 35 wildlife criminals.
Ms Kalinga