Illegal Wildlife Trade and Associated Myths
For centuries, a majority of communities have believed in animal trading for personal gain. Consequently, the culture and traditions of these communities have revolved around animal products. More often than not, the wildlife captured is known to “yield benefits”, be it curing a chronic disease or getting rid of ‘Evil Eye’ . Today, we talk about two among several urban wildlife species that are illegally traded globally. First on the list are Pangolins. Pangolins are found in most parts of the country and are endangered. We at PfA Bangalore have rescued quite a number of them to date. Pangolins are largely traded for their scales which are used in Chinese medicines. The scales of pangolins are made up of keratin, the protein our nails are made up of. These scales do not hold significant medicinal value. Apart from the scales, pangolins are sold around the world for meat. Recent research, although not conclusive, is considering pangolins as the cause of the coronavirus epidemic be...