Pangolin found in Galle, released to Forest Reserve

Mahinda P Liyanage, Galle Daily News correspondent

The captured pangolin was dispatched to the Hiyare Forest Reserve under the supervision of Wildlife officials. Picture by Mahinda P Liyanage, Galle Daily News correspondent

A pangolin (Kebellawa) also referred to as a scaly anteater or trenggiling, a mammal of the order Pholidota, was detected by Galle Wildlife Conservation Department officials in a densely populated area within the Galle municipality.

Wildlife officials consider it to be rare as the creature is solely extant in jungles.

The found the pangolin in Siyambalagahawatte, Devata in the city of Galle on information from villagers. A resident in Siyambalagahawatte on hearing the dogs barking on Sunday night, had searched the household and found the creature.

Out of fear of danger to the animal from dogs, he had caught the pangolin with the help of neighbours and kept it in a glass container. He later informed wildlife authorities who visited his house and caught it.

The pangolin was released to the Hiyare Forest Reserve by a group of researchers of the Galle Wildlife Conservation Organisation under the supervision of Wildlife Department officials.

The pangolin is an endangered toothless mammal with overlapping scales also included in the Red Data List maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Pangolin is the only mammal with no fur over its body which has just a cover of overlapping horny plates.