Noninvasive genetic monitoring of Chinese pangolin ( Manis pentadactyla ) from Darjeeling district of Northwest Bengal, India

Chinese pangolin ( Manis pentadactyla ) has experienced a rapid population decline across its distribution range mainly due to illegal harvesting for scale and local consumption for meat. We monitored 65 burrows of free‐ranging pangolins and collected 147 fecal droppings from five sites in the Darjeeling district of Northwest Bengal in the central Himalayas. On genetic analysis with the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, we obtained four haplotypes with haplotype diversity of 0.479 ± 0.088. At 15 microsatellite loci, we identified 35 unique genotypes with relatively low level of genetic diversity (Ho‐0.382 ± 0.091). We also estimated the population genetic parameters and demographic history using Bayesian skyline plot which revealed a demographic decline in the population size in the past 200 years. The present study generated the base‐line population genetics estimates of Chinese pangolin, that may be used in genetic monitoring of the population and also aid to the geographical assignment of wildlife crime cases.