Six arrested for poaching monitor lizards; 9 kgs meat seized

India: The Range Forest Office, Collem and Range Forest Office, Ponda conducted a raid on six houses late Monday evening at Tatodi, Dharbandora and arrested six for poaching monitor lizards and seized around 9 kgs of meat.

Ponda Forest Sub Divisional Officer, Anand Jadav said the first forest team arrested four while three who has fled the village late night surrendered at forest office.  

Around 3 kgs of the monitor lizards meat was found at each of the houses of the poacher's who hunted the lizards at Tatodi. The forest team also recovered weapons and bikes used in the offence. 

An offence has been 

registered under Section 9 and other Sections of Wild Life Protection Act for poaching monitor lizard which is a schedule animal under the Act. 

Those arrested include Sada Ganokar (45), Geetesh Gaonkar (33) Bhanudas Gaudo (32), Rajeshwar Gaonkar (33) , Suresh Gaonkar (53), Madu Gaonkar (40) all residents of Tatodi. Dharbandora.

Jadav said, according to preliminary onvestigations more than two to three lizards are suspected to be killed and among them one is a big sized lizard. 

He said, "We are conducting investigations whether the animals were poached for meat or for other purpose as the lizard's skin is not recovered yet". 

Collem Range Forest Officer Shamsundar Gawas is conducting further investigation into matter. 

Gawas urged the people not to poach wild animals as it is an offence. "It is duty of all of us to protect wild life. We saw how the Covid pandemic spread due to consumption of animals. Man had plenty of food option and so they should not switch to killing of animals which is part of our ecosystem," he added.

(Source: The Herald)