CUTTACK: Chameleons, once spotted in gardens in urban houses, are now rarely spotted in city limits. Known for their nature-gifted ability to change skin colour, the bizarre member of the reptile family sports a long, shooting tongue, oddly-shaped horns or crests and a tail like that of a monkey. The ‘Bahurupi Endua’ as it is locally called, is gradually finding its way into the books of endangered species. Blame it on habitat degradation and hunting for black magic or witch craft. “Once the chameleons were available in large numbers in nearby localities but now only a handful of those are found due to rampant poaching and smuggling,” said environmentalist Pradipta Kishore Mishra.
The chameleons are extensively hunted by those who practice black magic or witchcraft as they believe that its body can be used for ‘sammohan’ (mesmerise), said Mishra. As per reports, poaching and smuggling of the chameleon which are protected under the International Trade in Endangered Species Act and Scheduled II of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972 has increased in the last few years in the bordering areas of Cuttack and Kendrapara district.
The smugglers engage locals in different reserve forests of the two districts and collect the chameleon from them in return of a good amount. As Indian Chameleons hold high value for making exotic pets in the black market, they are also smuggled out to be bred in captivity and sold in international markets, said a forest official. Forest officials had arrested two persons and seized a 1.5 ft chameleon from them. The two had trapped the reptile from Kharnashi reserve forest of Mahakalapada forest range in Kendrapara and smuggling it to Paradip port town.
In another incident, locals rescued the reptile from the clutches of two Bangladesh refugees at Lalitgiri, who fled from the spot leaving the creature after people chased them. Apart from monetary purposes, the reptiles are face threat from children, who play with the reptile and injure it, resulting in deaths. Environmentalists fear that if adequate measures are not taken by Government for protection of the rare reptile, chameleon may soon cease to exist.