Animal was handed over to local forest officials
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| Ant-eater in school:Students are delighted on finding a pangolin near
Panchayat Union Primary School in Kammampalli under Chinnepalli
Panchayat near Krishnagiri on Friday.-Photo: N.Bashkaran | | | |
A pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) was caught by villagers near a government school near Krishnagiri on Friday.
A. Babu, Ranger, Krishnagiri Forest Range told
The Hindu Newspaper that the pangolin was found roaming near the Panchayat Union Primary
School in Kammampalli village under the Chinnepalli Panchayat in
Krishnagiri district on Friday morning at about 8.30 a.m.
Officials
Local people caught the animal and informed forest officials at Krishnagiri, who took it to the Forest Range Office.
Mr. Babu said that Manis crassicaudata is the biological name of the species.
It is categorized as Schedule I animal and belonged to an endangered species.
The number of these animals has been coming down fast owing to illegal hunting for medicinal value.
The Forest Department was taking efforts to protect the animals and prevent them from being decimated.
Over
the last two years, two pangolins were rescued in a village near Bargur
and in Pazhayapet area in Krishnagiri town, Mr. Babu said.
Elephants
Meanwhile,
the two wild elephants that had been scaring people in and around
Shoolagiri, Melumalai and Krishnagiri areas were driven towards the
Chinnar River area from Melumalai Reserve Forests.
It is likely that the pair will be driven further into the reserve forests in Karnataka, Mr. Babu said.
