The Red Sanders (or Red Sandalwood) was recently reclassified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as ‘endangered’ on its Red List.
Highlights:
Pterocarpus santalinus is the scientific name for the Red Sanders species.
It is an endemic tree species to India, with a geographical range limited to the Eastern Ghats.
The species is only found in a small area of woodland in Andhra Pradesh.
In 2018, it was designated as a ‘near threatened’ species.
When a species was removed from the endangered list for the first time since 1997, it was a cause for celebration.
For the past three generations, the Red Sanders species has seen its population drop by 50-80%.
As a result, it was once again placed in the Endangered category. Red Sanders are prized for their deep color and medicinal benefits.