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Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) has been identified as “threatened” both internationally
and locally, and included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. In Sri Lanka, the species is protected under the
Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (Amended 2009). Yet, it is a native mammal species
that received little scientific attention, and its autecology and conservation needs are not well
understood in the local context. This case-study was conducted to understand the ethnozoology
and conservation threats for pangolins in Yagiala Forest Reserve (a tropical lowland forest
located in Kalutara District, south-west of Sri Lanka) and its surroundings. We interviewed 67
individuals identified as regular or opportunistic hunters of pangolins, using snowball sampling
method. All interviewed hunters have considered pangolin as an opportunistic catch and no
one claimed it as a species caught regularly. Among the interviewed group, all hunters have
hunted pangolins for local consumption and no evidences were found linked to
local/international trade, or the species being used in indigenous medicine. Semi-structured
interviews with hunters further revealed that methods used to catch pangolins differ widely
with ambush and hitting with hard or sharp object (76.6%), throwing sand/soil (14.9%) or using
a flash light (8.5%) to cease the movement of the animal being cited as the most commonly
used hunting practices. All respondents hunted pangolins in the night, except in cases where
injured or entangled pangolins in barb/mesh fences have been captured during the day time.
Most respondents (87.2%) admitted that pangolins are more easily encountered or captured
under dry weather conditions, and before rains. Such peculiar observations by local hunters
may indicate possible behavioral patterns of the species associated with local weather
conditions. Cross tabulation and Chi-square tests were further employed to explore the association
between respondents’ knowledge, environmental attitudes and conservation perceptions of
pangolins. Based on the frequency of encounters and number of animals caught, Yagirala Forest
Reserve seems to provide conducive habitats for the species. The applicability of local
knowledge in developing sound ecological study methods and conservation strategies for
Indian pangolin are further highlighted.
