Panaji: In two separate incidents, the forest department rescued two Indian pangolins (Manis crassicaudata) and released them into their natural habitat.The wildlife rescue squad of the Pernem range forest office carried out the latest rescue on Sep 29 after an Indian pangolin was found moving around a human habitation in Khajne, Pernem. The animal was later released into the Mhadei forest.A similar operation was conducted two days earlier by the wildlife squads of the Mollem and Collem ranges. A pangolin was rescued from a car shed in Collem, Dharbandora, on Sep 27 and released into its natural habitat in Mollem.Officials said that the rescued pangolins could not be kept in captivity as the species does not readily feed in captivity. “Neither animal had sustained injuries, and both were examined before being released. The age and sex of the rescued pangolins could not be determined,” the official said.Indian pangolins are nocturnal mammals rarely encountered in human-dominated areas. Their presence in residential areas can put them at risk of accidental injury and human-wildlife conflict.
