TODAY -
Rs 20 lakh lizards new target of poachers in Northeast
Morung Express | Times News Network | Imphal, January 6:
t's not only big animals like tigers, rhinos and elephants that are being poached. Lately, poachers in the northeast have been eyeing a much smaller creature — a reptile species called the tokay gecko — which can be smuggled in bulk and fetches good returns in the grey market. The tokay gecko, a nocturnal Asian lizard growing up to 40cm in length and weighing up to 200gm, is in great demand in some Asian countries for its reported medicinal values. A mature gecko can easily fetch up to Rs 20 lakh.
Poachers are raiding the forests of Manipur that have an abundant populace of the lizard species. Exact numbers are not known since no definite census of the species has been carried out, says experts. But in the past six months, over 70 tokay geckos have been rescued by police, forest officials, activists of the People For Animal (PFA) Thoubal unit and Assam Rifles personnel from various parts of the state.
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* This Post is uploaded on January 07, 2013
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