Conservation: All that thoughts of riches was shattered for a civil servant in Phuentsholing, who expected to earn millions from sale of three Tokay Geckos he reared for three months. Buyers from across the border rejected his lizards for they did not fit the size. The civil servant did not know what the right size for sale was.

In fact, no one was known to have really sold the reptile and made money, although most people in the south had heard of people looking for it. Forest officials in the south said there was no end market for Tokay Geckos. While some Internet sites state the lizard weighing 300g could fetch more than USD 2M, some sites state the highest price Tokay Geckoes are paid is USD 50. Foresters apprehended about 20 people for trying to illegally trade the lizards in the last one year. But discussions are on about the lizard, both online and among people, on whether it was fetching the price it was rumoured to and whether it was worth protecting. A Tokay Gecko grows up to 15 inches, found mostly on rainforest trees and cliffs and is also reared in captive. Tokay Gecko is not listed in International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, 2000, meaning it is not classified under the list of protected species of endangered animals. Therefore, conservationists have differing views on whether geckoes should be protected. One forester said it was important to protect the reptile because it might be extinct after a few years. “If there is no end market, people would catch it and let it die in captivity,” a 32-year-old forest officer said. Another forester said they increased the penalty to discourage the rampant harvesting of this lizard. Forest officials, in September last year, revised the fine for attempting to catch Tokay Gecko to Nu 50,000. If someone was caught with possession of the reptile were liable for a fine of Nu 100,000. Wildlife conservation’s chief forestry officer Sonam Wangchuk said the fines were revised because foresters in south reported of mass hunting for Tokay Geckoes. “It’s important for conservationists to protect the species,” he said. He also said the division intended to conduct study on the lizard. Sonam Wangchuk said there were about 200 species of mammals listed and apart from knowing their physical presence, how many Tokay Geckoes the country has is unknown. “A study will be done soon,” he said. Samdrupjongkhar chief forest officer Sangay Dorji said without any studies conducted, conservationists did not know the conservation status of the reptile. Many residents along the southern foothills were made to believe, the reptile fetched millions for its medicinal value. “But no study has been conducted to ascertain its medicinal values and many Bhutanese are just feeding on rumours,” he said. Foresters in southern part of the country have since then been trying to curb the illegal hunting. In 2013, foresters in Samdrupjongkhar caught 10 people in possession of Tokay Geckoes. The people were fined Nu 100,000 each and the lizards released into the forest. In Samtse, two Indians paid the same fine earlier this month. “Increased patrol have helped reduce the number of people trying to catch the lizard in the locality,” Sangay Dorji said. SAARC forestry centre director Dr Sangay Wangchuk said Tokay Geckoes bred well and that there was no threat of it going extinct. “This is obvious from the way they regenerate and reproduce even in captivity,” he said. “It’s important to protect the habitat though.” (Source : kuenselonline.com)