A camera trap set in a sacred community forest in Nepal has captured an image of a Chinese pangolin, one of the world's most trafficked and elusive mammals. The photograph, taken on January 21, 2025, in the Panchakanya forest of eastern Nepal, marks a rare confirmed sighting of the species in a landscape where it was not previously documented.
A scaly surprise in a protected grove
The Panchakanya forest is not a typical wildlife reserve. It is a community managed forest in Nepal's Ilam District, protected largely because local people consider it sacred. The forest's spiritual significance has helped shield it from logging and development, creating a quiet refuge for wildlife. Researchers from the Nature Conservation and Study Centre (NCSC) placed camera traps there as part of a broader survey of mammals. They did not expect to find a Chinese pangolin.
Why locals took notice
For the communities that manage Panchakanya, the pangolin sighting is a point of pride. The Chinese pangolin is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. Its scales are highly valued in traditional medicine, and its meat is considered a delicacy in parts of Asia. Poaching pressure is intense across the species' range, which stretches from Nepal through parts of China and Southeast Asia. The fact that a pangolin was living undetected in a forest that people already protect for cultural reasons reinforces the conservation value of sacred groves. Local forest user groups have long patrolled the area against illegal activities. The camera trap image now gives them a new reason to guard their trees and undergrowth.
A quiet success for community conservation
The discovery did not come from a government led expedition or a well funded international NGO. It came from a small team of Nepali researchers working with local forest committees. Tujin Rai, a researcher with NCSC, reviewed the camera trap images and spotted the pangolin. The team later confirmed the identification with other experts. The forest itself covers only a modest area, but it sits within a corridor of green patches that connect to larger protected zones. That connectivity may be key to the pangolin's survival.
This single photograph does not prove a healthy population exists. But it does prove that a critically endangered animal can persist in a place where people value the forest for reasons beyond timber or profit. Sacred forests are often overlooked in national conservation strategies. This sighting suggests they deserve a closer look.
