The International Border Area People’s Welfare Organisation (IBAPWO) has launched an awareness campaign to curb illegal trafficking of pangolins along the Indo-Myanmar border, under a WWF-India funded project titled ”Pangolin Conservation at Indo-Myanmar Border.”
The campaign targets border villages near pillar numbers 134, 135, and 137, identified as trafficking-prone areas, and aims to sensitize village guards and local communities about the urgent need to protect pangolins from illegal hunting and trade.
The region is home to the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) and the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), both protected under CITES Appendix I, which prohibits international trade. The Chinese Pangolin is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
Speaking to MT, N Apong, Chief Functionary of IBAPWO, said: “So far, we haven’t encountered recent cases of trafficking. It’s been some time since any such activity occurred, mainly due to the current situation in Myanmar. There’s a lack of market access right now. But once things return to normal, trafficking could pick up again. That’s why we felt this was the right time to raise awareness and sensitize the community.”
Apong explained that IBAPWO is actively engaging with village councils and village guards in several communities near pillar numbers 134, 135, and 137—areas known to be vulnerable to cross-border trafficking.
“From these villages, it’s very easy to cross over and access markets in Myanmar. The border is imaginary—it’s very accessible. And it’s not just pangolins that are trafficked; even rare orchids are taken across.”
On how the awareness is being carried out, he said: “We’re mainly encouraging people to refrain from trafficking pangolins. There’s an old belief that pangolin scales have medicinal properties based on ancient Chinese traditions. But science has proven otherwise. Unfortunately, despite this, the myth persists, and so does the illegal trade.”
He also spoke about the ecological importance of the species: “Pangolins feed mainly on ants and termites—up to 20,000 ants per day, which comes to around 70 million a year. If these insects go unchecked, it can disrupt the ecological balance. They’re also peculiar mammals, which contributes to the beauty of our ecosystem.”
Despite their shy, nocturnal nature, pangolins are now among the most trafficked mammals in the world, targeted for their scales and meat.
IBAPWO hopes that with community-level awareness and continued engagement, more people will join in protecting this critically endangered species.
“We hope this small initiative helps build awareness and encourages protection of pangolins at the grassroots level,” Apong said.
Founded by a group of like-minded individuals, IBAPWO is a non-profit organization working in remote areas of eastern Nagaland, including Meluri, Tuensang, Mon, Longleng and Kiphire. It seeks to serve as a platform to raise awareness on the challenges and grievances faced by the communities living in the Indo-Myanmar border region.