Mapping the Indian Pangolin: Distribution, Habitat, and Conservation Priorities in Punjab, Pakistan

Atif Yaqub*¹, Khansa Mushtaq¹, Muhammad Saad¹, Arbab Abid¹, Zainab Hassan¹, Hassaan Haider¹, Bilal Mustafa²

¹Department of Zoology, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
²Department of Wildlife and Natural Resources, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, 76402, Texas, USA

Corresponding author: Atif Yaqub, atif@gcu.edu.pk
Running Title: Indian Pangolin in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract: The Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is the only pangolin species native to Pakistan and is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, primarily due to illegal hunting for its keratin scales and meat. This review synthesizes field-based evidence on the distribution, habitat use, and burrow ecology and conservation status of the species across Punjab province against comparable reference sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with particular depth of coverage for the well-studied Potohar Plateau districts of Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Attock and Gujrat. Estimated densities of individuals across Potohar landscapes are still low, generally 0.26-0.37 individuals per square kilometer, a pattern reflecting ongoing poaching pressure and habitat fragmentation. However, densities in the reference region elsewhere in northern Pakistan vary much more widely, from below 0.02 to nearly 0.8 individuals per square kilometre, cautioning against taking the Potohar figures as broadly representative. To date, no dedicated field ecological survey has been conducted in the central and southern districts of Punjab, including Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan. A recent province-comparative mortality study that extends questionnaire-based data collection to several districts of Punjab (Ahmad & Li, 2024) narrows but does not close this evidence gap. Habitat suitability modelling indicates that elevation, soil composition, vegetation density, and proximity to water are the strongest predictors of pangolin occurrence, and that suitable habitat is likely to contract and shift under future climate scenarios. Cultural misconceptions and inconsistent institutional enforcement continue to undermine conservation outcomes despite the species’ legal protection under CITES Appendix I and Pakistan’s wildlife legislation. The review concludes that province-wide baseline field surveys, extension of illegal-trade-route mapping and ensemble habitat modelling into Punjab, stricter and better-coordinated enforcement, and community-based monitoring are the most urgent priorities for securing the species’ long-term persistence in the province.

Key words: Manis crassicaudata; Punjab; habitat suitability; poaching; burrow ecology; conservation; Potohar Plateau; MaxEnt modelling