Bhubaneswar: A pangolin was rescued from Khojapalli village under Khallikote block in Ganjam district after it entered a villager’s home on Friday night.
According to reports, the family members, frightened by the unexpected visitor, promptly informed the forest department.
Upon being informed, the Khallikote forest officials, led by Forest Range Officer Divya Shankar Behera, rescued the pangolin. The team, comprising Forester Nilamadhab Jena, Santosh Behera, Santosh Mallik, and Forest Guard Rajeshwar Behera, brought the pangolin to the forest office.
The forest officials released the pangolin into a safe area of the Khallikote forest range in the wee hours of Saturday.
It is learnt that the rescued pangolin weighed around 3 kg and measured approximately 2 feet in length.
It is pertinent to mention that the Indian pangolin (Maniscrassicaudata), also called thick-tailed pangolin, scaly anteater and ‘bajrakapta’ in Odia is a solitary, shy, slow-moving, nocturnal mammal. It is a schedule-I protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Schedule- I provides absolute protection – offences under this are prescribed for the highest penalties.
