CoP17 Prop. 8 and 9

Transfer of Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata from Appendix II to Appendix I
Proposal 8 Proponent: Bangladesh
Proposal 9 Proponents: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and United States of America
Note: Proposals 8 and 9 are identical in intent. One analysis is presented for the two.
Summary: The Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata occurs in South Asia from northeast and southeast
Pakistan south throughout the Indian sub-continent, including Sri Lanka, and east to southern Nepal. It was
found throughout Bangladesh historically but there are no recent records and the species may be extinct
there. There are historical records of this species from southwest China (Yunnan Province) where its
presence is uncertain, and dubious records from Myanmar. Manis crassicaudata occurs in various types oftropical forest as well as grassland, open land and degraded habitat. Like other species of pangolin it issolitary and is considered to have low fecundity, giving birth to one young typically (though there areobservations of twins), after a gestation period of approximately six months. Females typically give birthannually.
There is a lack of quantitative population data for this species. Its status in India, which comprises by far thelargest part of its range (very approximately three million km2), is not well known, though it was reported in
the early 1980s that populations were greatly reduced by hunting, and it is currently listed as vulnerable
nationally. This species is protected in India meaning hunting and trade are prohibited but seizures ofpangolin derivatives have been made across India between 2009 and 2014 indicating some level ofexploitation. It is reportedly of variable abundance in Sri Lanka, but nowhere common.
Manis crassicaudata is also protected in Pakistan where hunting is prohibited, but there is evidence ofpopulation declines, driven by harvesting for illegal trade. In the Potohar Plateau region of northeast
Pakistan, which forms a large part of this species' range in Pakistan (ca. 22,000km²), it is estimated that theaverage population density of M. crassicaudata underwent an 80% decline between 2010 and 2012, fromaround one individual per km2 to one every 5 or so km2. Data from the last three to four years reveals thekilling of around 400 pangolins here, although this is likely to be an underestimate1. Additional data from
Pakistan indicate that targeted exploitation of this species also occurs in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with anestimated illegal offtake of ca. 500 between 2012 and 20161, again likely to be an underestimate.
Since 2000, seizure data indicate that illicit, international trade in at least 8000 M. crassicaudata may havetaken place2. International demand for this and other species of Manis, especially for scales, is believed tobe increasing as a result of significant declines in populations of M. pentadactyla and M. javanica. Thisspecies is also said to be heavily hunted for local consumption.
This species is classified in the IUCN Red List as Endangered (2014).
Analysis: Manis crassicaudata is affected by trade. There are few data on the population status of thisspecies. It is believed to have been extirpated from some of its range, in Bangladesh and populations appear
to have declined markedly due to poaching in parts of Pakistan. Very little is known on the population in India
which is the majority of the species’ range, although it is believed to have been reduced. There is therefore
insufficient information to determine whether the species meets the criteria for inclusion in Appendix I.
Reviewers: C. Shepherd and D. Pietersen.
References:Information not referenced in the Summary section is from the Supporting Statement.
1 Mahmood, T. (2016) In litt. to the IUCN/TRAFFIC Analyses Team, Cambridge, UK.
2 Challender, D.W.S., Harrop, S.R. & MacMillan, D.C. (2015) Understanding markets to conserve trade threatened

species in CITES. Biological Conservation 187: 249-259.

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