Ten endangered monitor lizards rescued in Tripura

Forest officials in South Tripura rescued ten endangered monitor lizards and arrested a 21-year-old for alleged wildlife trafficking near Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary. The reptiles, seized during a routine check, were released after veterinary examination; authorities launched an investigation into the trafficking network

Agartala: Ten monitor lizards, an endangered species, were rescued in South Tripura district, and a 21-year-old man was arrested for allegedly being involved in wildlife trafficking, a forest official said on Tuesday.

During a routine check along the Belonia-Sonamura road near Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary in Belonia subdivision, a team of forest guards, with the help of BSF personnel, detained the person, who was riding a scooter, on Monday, and seized the lizards from his possession, he said.

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The accused was going from Rajnagar to Belonia when his two-wheeler was intercepted, the official said.

“During the search, ten monitor lizards concealed in three sacks were recovered. All the monitor lizards were seized and the youth was arrested for carrying the endangered species, a scheduled I animal, according to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,” Trishna sanctuary wildlife warden Bimal Das said.

During interrogation, the accused claimed that he had collected monitor lizards from a person and had planned to take these endangered species to Manubazar in South Tripura district, he said.

“After interrogation, the accused was produced before a court in Belonia, which granted him bail conditionally. We have started an investigation to identify those involved in the animal trafficking racket”, he said.

According to him, this was the first time that ten monitor lizards were seized from Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, considered a natural habitat of the species.

Following the court’s directive, all the rescued monitor lizards were released inside the sanctuary after examining their condition by a veterinary doctor, he added.