Satara forest department catches man with 6kg pangolin scales in Mahabaleshwar

Kolhapur: The Satara forest department personnel arrested a man and seized 5.9kg of pangolin scales during a trap laid at the Mahabaleshwar bus stand area on April 18.The accused, identified as Prasad Gosavi, of Manpada village in Dombivli, was booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Pangolins are listed under Schedule II of protected animals in India, making illegal possession and trade a serious offence punishable with three to seven years of imprisonment, or a fine of Rs 25,000, or both, forest officials said.Range forest officer Sunil Landge said the department received specific intelligence that a person would arrive in Mahabaleshwar carrying pangolin scales for smuggling. "Based on this input, we laid a trap and caught the accused while he was travelling by bus from Chiplun in Ratnagiri district to Mahabaleshwar in Satara," he said.The accused was produced before a court, which granted forest department custody till April 23. Further investigation into the smuggling network is underway.Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are among the most trafficked wild animals globally due to the high demand for their scales. Landge urged residents to remain vigilant and report any instances of illegal hunting, smuggling or sale of wildlife to the forest department.The operation was carried out under the guidance of deputy conservator of forests Amol Satpute, assistant conservator of forests Pradeep Roundal, range forest officers Sunil Landge and Mahadev Mohite, along with forest guards and staff.