A poacher carrying a number of dead monitor lizards in Kendrapara. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Aug. 25: The monitor lizards (varanus bengalensis), which were once found abundant in water bodies and nullahs, are on the verge of extinction, thanks to the practice of unabated poaching and laxity in vigil on part of the forest officials.

These aquatic animals play the scavenging agents in keeping the water bodies free from harmful insects and bugs.

“These aquatic animals are being killed indiscriminately. It is the people belonging to the primitive Kela tribe who are resorting to poach these animals in various places across Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara district. The Kela settlers consume its meat while the its skin and hides fetch them good money,” said secretary of wildlife society Biswajit Mohanty.

“The tribes are little aware of the fact that poaching monitor lizards is an offence. As a result, the number of this aquatic species is rapidly on the downslide,” he said.

The skin and hides of these aquatic animals are used for making the musical instruments.

“The Indian monitor lizard is treated as an endangered species and it is accorded protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Because of their endangered status, these aquatic animals have also been listed under the Red Data Book to Appendix I of the CITES (Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna),” Mohanty said.

Though poaching the monitor lizards is on the increase, yet not a single wildlife offence connected to it has been registered for almost a decade.

Thousands of musical instruments, made of the skins of monitor lizard, are sold at the Joranda fair every year.

“We have seized the products and stopped the sale of such instruments at the Joranda fair. However, there are other fairs that lend credence to the fact that poaching of lizards is still a money-making practice,” Mohanty said.

The state has a dubious track record in flourishing trade in the wildlife products like ivory, skins, fresh water turtles, live birds, live snakes, snake skins and crocodile skins.

However, it is a cognisable offence. Offenders found killing, trapping or selling such products are punishable upto seven years in jail.

The wildlife wing is quite aware of such malpractice. However, with lack of vigil and enforcement, the trade is carried out openly.

The wildlife wing hardly carries out raid to curb lizard poaching. A raid on Kela villages and settlements would lead to the seizure of the skins which are usually stretched out in the open to get them dried up.

“We are yet to receive reports about the commercial trade of monitor lizards. However, the forest department would conduct raids to curb such illegal practices,” said Kujang forest range officer.

Once found abundantly along water bodies and nullah, there has been a steady decline in number of monitor lizard, a delicate aquatic species that figures in the list of endangered species.

Unabated poaching and absence of forest officials’ vigil have contributed to gross decimation of these aquatic animals that are used to play scavenging agents in keeping the water bodies free from harmful insects and bugs.

“These animals are being killed indiscriminately. It’s the primitive Kela tribes who are resorting to kill the animals in various places in Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara district. The kela settlers consume its meat while the skin and hides from the felled lizards fetch them good money,” said Biswajit Mohanty, secretary wildlife society of Orissa.

The crux of the problem is that the tribes are little aware of the fact that they are committing an offence while hunting down monitor lizards. Forest department has closed its to the poaching activity by kelas. As a result, the number of lizards is rapidly on the downslide, he alleged.

The skin and hides form an important component in the making of musical instruments. The lizards’ hide figure prominently on the indigenous musical instruments otherwise called ‘khanjani’ in local parlance. “Khanjani” is made of a small hollow round ring of wood on which a tanned monitor lizard skin is stretched round.

The Indian monitor lizard (varanus bengalensis) is treated as an endangered species and it is accorded protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Because of their endangered status, these aquatic animals have also been listed under the Red Data Book to Appendix I of the CITES (Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna), Mohanty, wildlife conservationist, noted.

Not a single wildlife offence connected to monitor lizard poaching has been registered for almost a decade though these animals are being killed almost on a daily basis. During the famous Joranda fair, thousands of musical instruments made up from monitor lizard skins were being sold. Over a thousand instruments were up for sale at the mela

After our intervention, its sale was stopped and the products were seized. But its sale is still continuing in other fairs at other places that lend credence to the fact that poaching of lizards is still a money-making practice, Mohanty said.

The state has a dubious track record in flourishing trade in wildlife products like ivory, skins, fresh water turtles, live birds, live snakes, snake skins and crocodile skins though it is a cognizable offence. Offenders found killing, trapping or selling such products are punishable up to 7 years in jail.

Every year, thousands of such monitor lizard skins fitted instruments are sold in the state. The Wildlife Wing is aware of such illegal trade. However with lack of vigil and enforcement, the trade is carried out in full public view.

The wildlife wing hardly carries out raid to curb lizard poaching. On any given day, raid on kela villages and settlements, there would be seizure the skins which are usually stretched out in the open to get them dried up, activists observe.

“We are yet to receive reports commercial trade of monitor lizard. Still the forest department would conduct raids to curb such illegal practices,”, said Kujang forest range officer.