PUDUCHERRY: Monitor lizards, an endangered species, are being poached in Tamil Nadu and sold in canteens here. After seizing two monitor lizards last Friday, the Department of Forest and Wildlife has seized six monitor lizards on Monday morning at Villianur.
The lizards were brought by two tribals from Kedar village in Villupuram district to be sold to a canteen in Villianur.
The tribals were fined Rs 3,000 and released.
These are not isolated cases, as there is clandestine sale in canteens as people believe that consuming the meat rejuvenates a person and provides sexual vigour, besides curing the joint pains.
The tribals poach the animal in Kedar, Senzy and Thiruvanamai and sell it in Puducherry, as they get a good price, sai d Agricultural officer K Shivashanmugham.
On an average, each lizard fetches Rs 300 to Rs 500 based on the size and is sold at Rs 60 to Rs 80 per plate in the canteens. It is also served in bars along with liquor.
Though illegal sale of lizard was prevalent in Puducherry, following raids and action by Forest Department sleuths in 2000-2001, the activity declined.
Due to rains during the past two weeks, the holes of the monitor lizards in coconut grooves and banana plantations were flooded and the animals came out. rendering them an easy prey for the poachers.
However, the Forest Department claims to have strengthened the wildlife mobile protection squad (WLMPS) with intelligence gathering wings and strengthening with manpower to prevent such activities, says Shivashanmugham.
Not only monitor lizards, the WLMPS has also seized 36 egrets stored in the freezer of a bar-canteen to be sold as meat to customers. The egrets are listed as protected animals under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act.
With sambha paddy under cultivation, the egrets come to feed on the larva of leeches found in paddy field and other worms, when they become victims of poaching. The canteen owner and the bar manager have been fined Rs 10,000 each.