Lost but found: Pangolin panics citizens

KARACHI:

A pangolin was found late on Thursday night near Islamia College, within the limits of Jamshed Quarters police station. Later, residents handed it over to the police. Residents who spotted the animal believed it to be a rare and dangerous species.

"It is not a rare animal," said Sindh Wildlife Department's (SWD) provincial conservator Saeed Baloch. "But we cannot keep it in captivity," he explained.

According to Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's senior director for culture, sports and recreation Raza Rizvi, officials of the Karachi Zoological Garden took the pangolin away within two hours after it was found.

"It is dangerous for citizens to catch the animal," said Rizvi. He said residents, police and media persons believed that pangolin was a rare species, but it isn't.

Wildlife experts have warned citizens to avoid catching such animals without the help of experts. "It can be very dangerous," claimed Rizvi. He said SWD officials have been informed to take the animal into their possession. "We can't keep it as it will die in captivity," he said, adding that it’s possible for zoo authorities to keep it for longer.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2015.