Red Sanders

In News 

• Red Sanders (Red Sandalwood) has fallen back into the ‘endangered’ category in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. 
• It was classified as ‘near threatened’ in 2018.
  • It was a moment of celebration when the species was lifted off from the endangered category for the first time since 1997.

About Red sanders

• Scientific Name: Pterocarpus santalinus.
  • Known for their rich hue and therapeutic properties.
• They are high in demand across Asia, particularly in China and Japan, for use in cosmetics and medicinal products as well as for making furniture, woodcraft and musical instruments.
  • Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that a tonne of Red Sanders costs anything between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore in the international market.

• Distribution: 
  • They are usually growing in the rocky, degraded and fallow lands with Red Soil and a hot and dry climate.
  • It is an Indian endemic tree species, with a restricted geographical range in the Eastern Ghats.
  • The species is endemic to a distinct tract of forests in Andhra Pradesh. 
• Threats: 
  • Over-exploitation, cattle grazing and invasive species and smuggling.
• Protection Status: 
  • It is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Source: DTE