We human beings sometimes have zero regards for something that we don’t clearly understand and tend to consider it as a threat.
Just like a rare pangolin, which was thrashed to death by scared and confused villagers in Gurugram, reports Times of India.
A rare mammal of the order Pholidota, pangolins are harmless creatures but apparently the villagers got frightened after one was spotted in their village.
The 2.5 feet long pangolin was seen roaming in Patakpur and was then thrashed to death as it approached the confused villagers.
Indian pangolins are Schedule I species that are given the highest protection under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Claiming innocence on their part, villagers echoed that they had thought of the pangolin as another reptile with scales. They said that they’ve never seen one such animal and got scared when it approached them.
District forest officer, Rajinder Prasad explained that the post-mortem report confirmed that the poor creature was beaten to death by the villagers.
He further said:
It looked different, it looked dangerous. The villagers got scared and some started chasing it. Threatened, the pangolin ran towards the people and they killed it. It was unfortunate. People did not know what it was. There is a need to create awareness about such species. People need to know it is harmless and plays an important role in the ecosystem.
Despite being on the endangered list, the pangolin is one of the most trafficked animals in Asia and is traded for its scales, flesh and skin.
