Two Held in Assam's Kokrajhar for Alleged Illegal Trade in Protected Monitor Lizard Meat

Guwahati: Two people have been arrested in  Kokrajhar for allegedly possessing and trading the meat of the protected Indian monitor lizard during a joint operation conducted by the Ultapani Forest Range, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Evergreen Charitable Trust.

As per forest officials, the operation was launched  after specific intelligence inputs regarding the illegal hunting and sale of the protected reptile.  The investigations suggest that Indian monitor lizards may have been hunted and traded over an extended period in the forested areas between Sikhna Jwhwlao and the Raimona National Park landscape.

During the raid, the joint team recovered meat suspected to be that of an Indian monitor lizard and arrested two individuals allegedly involved in the illegal wildlife trade. The accused have been handed over to the police and remain in custody while the investigation continues.

The Indian monitor lizard is protected under India's wildlife protection laws, and the hunting, possession, transportation or trade of the species or any of its body parts is a punishable offence.

The forest officer team said further investigations are under way to identify other individuals believed to be part of the alleged wildlife trafficking network. Forest  officers have also stated that surveillance across the Raimona forest landscape will be intensified, with stringent action to continue against poaching and the illegal trade in wildlife.

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