Abstract
The Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata, is an ‘Endangered’ mammal species native to Pakistan but facing a risk of extinction due to hunting pressure for its scales used in trade. The current study investigated habitat preference of this unique species in the Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad, from September 2011 to August 2012. Three habitat types, viz, human vicinity area, agricultural land, and wild/natural area, were searched for recording signs of Indian Pangolin. Data on habitat preference was collected from direct and indirect signs of the species by monitoring 85 line transects, each measuring 500m in length and 50m in width, in 17 different sampling sites. A total of 323 signs of Indian Pangolin were recorded including 299 burrows, 10 live sightings, and 14 scats of the species. The maximum number of signs were recorded in wild or unmodified natural area (55.1%), followed by those in vicinity to human use area (20.12%), while the least (24.76%) were found in agricultural area. Statistical comparison using one-way analysis of variance of pangolin field signs, among three different types of habitats studied, differed significantly (df= 48, F= 13.723, p <0.001). Similarly, LSD analysis further revealed that field signs of Indian pangolin recorded on natural or wild habitat significantly differed from those which were on agricultural land and human vicinity area (p <0.001). The study concludes that the Indian Pangolin prefers habitats in the wild or natural area over those close to human vicinity and agricultural lands.
Highlights
Animals make habitat choices as a result of balance between the costs and benefits perceived by them from effort and efficacy of result
Growing concerns over population declines due to poaching and trafficking (Challender et al 2015; Ingram et al 2019) have emphasized the need for more concerted conservation efforts for the species, which according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, is listed as ‘Endangered’ due to past and anticipated population declines caused by illegal hunting (Mahmood et al 2019)
We aimed at investigating the preferred habitat of the Indian Pangolin, among three habitat types, viz., natural or wild area (NWA), agricultural land (AGL) and human vicinity areas (HVA), in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), Islamabad
Summary
Animals make habitat choices as a result of balance between the costs and benefits perceived by them from effort and efficacy of result. The species occurs in five different countries including Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh (Mahmood et al 2019) It generally inhabits tropical and sub-tropical forests, dry mixedevergreen monsoon, sub-mountain, and riverine forest (Roberts 1977; Phillips 1981). It occurs in mangrove forest, grasslands, agricultural land, artificial landscapes (plantations), home-gardens, scrubland, and desiccated areas (Roberts 1977; Pabasara et al 2015; Karawita et al 2018) It is an ‘Endangered’ species throughout its range because of illegal trade for its scales and meat, placed in the Appendix I of the CITES, and is the world’s most trafficked mammal (Mahmood et al 2019). Keeping in view the importance of Margalla Hills as an important habitat of the Indian Pangolin in the country, the present study assessed its habitat preference in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), Islamabad
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