A late-night routine patrol by the Odisha Forest Department turned into a dramatic highway pursuit on Friday, resulting in the rescue of a live pangolin and the arrest of an alleged wildlife smuggler in Malkangiri district.
According to an official press release issued by the Forest Department, the incident unfolded around 10:00 pm on November 13, when personnel from the Malkangiri Forest Range were patrolling a state highway near Koilipari village. During the vigil, officials spotted a suspicious motorcyclist attempting to transport an endangered pangolin.
Sensing the presence of the forest team, the rider allegedly accelerated in a bid to escape. However, the alert personnel gave chase and successfully intercepted the vehicle, apprehending the suspect on the spot before he could flee into the night.
The arrested accused has been identified as 39-year-old Pendaya Kakar, son of Gangaya Kakar, a resident of Dulamandi village under the Kurmanur Gram Panchayat in the Chitrakonda police station limits.
Following the seizure, the Forest Department safely took custody of the rescued pangolin. Officials have registered a formal case against Kakar under relevant provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972—which affords the highest level of legal protection to the heavily trafficked scaly anteater.
The accused was subsequently produced before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court in Malkangiri, where legal procedures were initiated to remand him to judicial custody.
While the immediate smuggling bid has been thwarted, forest authorities confirmed that a broader investigation is underway. Officials are currently interrogating the suspect to trace the exact origin of the animal and uncover potential links to larger, organised wildlife trafficking syndicates operating across the region.
