This story is part of The Better India’s new wildlife series, Species in Focus: 52 species. 52 stories. 52 reasons to protect India’s wildlife. One species at a time, the series explores India’s rare, endangered and lesser-known wildlife, their habitats, behaviour, ecological roles and conservation status.

On the forested edges of Shillong, a camera trap recorded an animal that is rarely seen, even by those who study wildlife. 

Moving through the forest under the cover of darkness was a Chinese pangolin, a critically endangered mammal that has now been documented in the Wildlife Institute of India’s (WII) study area in Meghalaya for the first time.

The sighting is significant for more than the presence of a threatened species. Forests bordering urban areas may appear small compared with protected wilderness, but they can provide vital shelter for animals facing habitat loss and fragmentation.

A rare visitor, recorded on camera

The record emerged from WII’s ongoing project, Assessment of Mammalian Assemblages in Meghalaya, which focuses on the Riat Laban and Laitkor reserve forests along Shillong’s urban edges.

“This rare record comes from our ongoing project,” the institute said, highlighting the first documentation of the Chinese pangolin within its Meghalaya study area.

🌿 A Milestone record on the Fringes of Shillong! 📸✨ Our camera traps have recorded the Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) for the very first time in our study area! 🛡️🐾 This rare record comes from our ongoing project "Assessment of Mammalian Assemblages in Meghalaya", focusing on the Riat Laban and Laitkor reserve forests right on the urban edges of Shillong. These peri-urban city forests harbor a remarkably unique and diverse assemblage of wildlife. Alongside the Chinese pangolin, our cameras captured iconic species including the Large Indian Civet, Leopard Cat,........

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