Due to their unique morphological features and huge size, Monitor lizards may elicit fear among people. But they are far from harmful. In fact, humans have caused more harm to these reptiles. Various myths and superstitions surrounding Monitor lizards have led them to bear the brunt of issues like human-wildlife conflict and wildlife trafficking.
Wildlife SOS has saved numerous Bengal monitors from people’s homes, factories, residential areas, commercial buildings and public places. Misconceptions about these animals lead people to label them as beasts, belonging to the prehistoric age. It’s true that these lizards’ evolutionary path traces back to antiquity; they existed in the times of the dinosaurs. But it is also important for us to be aware about these magnificent creatures in order to nip the misunderstandings in the bud.
Monitor lizards
India is home to four species of monitor lizards – the Bengal monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis), the Asian water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator), the yellow monitor lizard (Varanus flavescens) and the desert monitor monitor lizard (Varanus griseus). These reptiles are primarily solitary and spend their days on the move, often venturing into urban areas in search of food and water. They are even known to help regulate rodent and insect populations.
While the Bengal orca is the most widely distributed of the four species, the Asian orca is the largest, reaching up to 2 meters in length; The Bengal species comes second and is known to grow to about 1.75 meters in length. Bengal monitors can be found in many parts of India – from deserts to humid evergreen patches and even in densely populated urban areas such as Agra and Delhi-NCR.
Two subspecies of Asiatic monitor lizards can be found in India, the Andaman monitor lizard, which lives only in the Andaman Islands, and the Southeast Asian monitor lizard (Varanus salvator macromaculatus), which resides in eastern and northeastern India. India, and the Nicobar Islands.
Meanwhile, three subspecies of desert monitor lizards are known to exist – the gray monitor lizard, the Caspian monitor lizard and the Indian desert monitor lizard. As the name suggests, the Indian desert monitor has a highly specialized habitat and is found in the Thar desert region across India’s Rajasthan. It is the smallest of the lizards found in India (less than a meter long) and is known to eat mostly invertebrates, although it can also eat lizards and animals. have smaller breasts.
The yellow curtain is seen in eastern India, mainly in West Bengal. This species is found near wet areas, especially in wetlands such as agricultural fields. Compared to the Bengal monitor lizard, which is good at climbing trees, the yellow monitor lizard is not able to do that due to its short hind toes. What threatens this species most is the lack of research, leading to poor awareness. Common in human-dominated areas, a lack of awareness can often lead to animals being harmed by humans.
Rescue supervision
Wildlife SOS has been working hard to save and conserve Monitor lizards through rescues and even treating these reptiles. From construction sites to markets, shops, water tanks, kitchens and even car manufacturing facilities, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit has rescued them from some dangerous situations .
In a rare incident, Wildlife SOS rescued a Monitor lizard from a Honda car manufacturing unit in Noida, Delhi-NCR. The 3-foot-long reptile was found stuck in a garden fence inside the factory premises. The team had to be extremely careful when rescuing the troubled lizard as they wanted to avoid agitating it further.
It took them nearly an hour to get the reptile safely out of the fence. The animal suffered injuries to its right forelimb, after which Wildlife SOS veterinarians provided topical medication to the wound.
In another case, Wildlife SOS rescued a Monitor lizard that had entered a shop in Delhi Cantonment area. Recently, our team also rescued three supervisors within three days. One of them was found inside a house in Shyam Vihar, New Delhi. As soon as the group arrived at the lizard rescue location, the animal jumped into the water tank. It took the rescue team nearly 30 minutes to safely release this reptile.
Meanwhile in Agra, the team rescued a Monitor lizard from the kitchen of a house, hiding underneath a mixer grinder. Other rescues include two more Monitor lizards from separate situations – one freed from a drain in Radha Nagar and another from a paper bowl factory in Rambagh, Agra.
These rescue cases reflect the growing awareness among the people of Delhi-NCR and Agra and their concern for reptiles and urban wildlife. The initial reaction when spotting a lizard is often fear, which is why they are met with hostility. But the noticeable shift in people’s attitudes is a positive sign of the change that Wildlife SOS is trying to bring about through its work.
Monitor wildlife trafficking
One of the biggest threats to these reptiles is hunting for their skin. The skin of these lizards is used to make drums and their genitals are considered to resemble the hatha jodi plant. According to superstition, they are believed to bring prosperity and are widely sold throughout South Asia. People also consider their meat and eggs to be a delicious dish and an aphrodisiac.
In March this year, Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the Gujarat Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) conducted a raid on a small, discreet shop in Surat, Gujarat. The team assisted the Surat Forest Department in seizing a total of six monitor lizard genitals during the raid. Again in June, the team seized seven lizard genitals by busting a large-scale wildlife trafficking racket in Navsari, Gujarat.
Last year, the Wildlife SOS-GSPCA team monitored the activities of a wildlife trafficking ring and discovered two locations in Jalgaon, Maharashtra that were storing wild species and body parts for sale. . A raid conducted by the police, forest department and Wildlife SOS unearthed three dead Monitor lizards and eight of the animal’s genitals.
Furthermore, Wildlife SOS also rescued a live lizard from the INA market in south Delhi, which was sold for use in traditional Chinese medicine or to make soup as an aphrodisiac. Our intelligence revealed that the traders may have smuggled the lizard from the neighboring state of Rajasthan.
Through these persistent and tenacious efforts, Wildlife SOS continues its efforts to conserve these endangered reptiles. You can also make a meaningful contribution by becoming a monthly donor and supporting our life-saving work.
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