Visakhapatnam: Monsoon activates monitor lizard poaching

Visakhapatnam: With the onset of monsoon and the growing demand for medicinal purposes, the endangered monitor lizards are facing danger from the rampant poaching in the three districts of north Andhra Pradesh.

After the media highlighted the selling of lizards on the outskirts of the city near the airport, a squad of the forest department and Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals (VSPCA) caught four people who were carrying 10 monitor lizards apart from 16 white-breasted water hens and nine grey falcons to sell in the market. 

According to reports, monitor lizard is high in demand in different states and abroad for its meat, oil and fat which are used in traditional treatment of bone fractures, chronic pain and other ailments. 

Some raids at other states have also revealed that the sexual organ of a monitor lizard is also used as a lucky charm for fertility in men and increase the sex drive.

The inaction of the forest department against the hunters is attributed to the rise in illegal wildlife activities.

Vizag Divisional Forest Officer Alan Chong Teron said, “Based on media reports, we carried out a raid and seized the monitor lizard along with other birds. We let them go after warning them of stringent action next time if they engage in poaching of the species. They have given a note with their thumb impression.”

When asked what the poachers revealed, the officer said, “Though the lizards have medicinal va-lue the four persons were planning to approach people who eat lizard meat. Most of the poaching of lizards is occurring in Srikakulam. We will jail poachers if anyone is caught next time.”

VSPCA founder Pradeep Kumar Nath said, "The demand for monitor lizard meat has been increasing. So the hunters who are seasonal tribal people are poaching to sell in the local market and make a fast buck. Monitor lizards are protected under Sch-edule 1 of The Indian Wil-dlife Act while the rest un-der Schedule IV. One has to place orders before one day and they come up with the species. We also seized many trapping ma-terials. The president of their tribe and three others were caught in the raid.

“From monsoon onwards they are busy. We have offered them alternative jobs but they refuse to work. They are quite busy as their orders are full. We are going to carry out awareness camps too along with the forest department and make their children to enrol in government schools. Our vigil will continue. Only exemplary punishment for poaching can work.