Wildlife dept cracks down on lizard poachers

Rescues over 1,100 spiny-tailed lizards since Friday; makes no arrests, lets off poachers with warning

The Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) has taken more than 1,100 spiny-tailed lizards, commonly called 'sanda', into custody during a recent crackdown on poachers in Karachi and Thatta, The Express Tribune learnt on Tuesday. However, no arrests were made during the raids and poachers were let off with a warning.

Inspector Aijaz Nondhani, who led the raid party, said a total 1,136 spiny-tailed lizards had been recovered since Friday, adding that they rescued over 650 lizards during one raid alone.

"[Besides], a raid party rescued over 370 spiny-tailed lizards from poachers, who were on their way to Karachi, during an operation in Badin district last week," inspector Naeem Khan told The Express Tribune.

As a practice, poachers seize the lizards in Thatta and sell them off in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and elsewhere. The illegal trade continues to flourish despite frequent attempts by relevant authorities to carry out raids and curb the practice.

These lizards are mostly found in Hub, Gadap, Malir, Thatta and adjacent areas, said inspector Khan.

But the area between Thatta and Jamshoro district is the hub of illegal hunting of spiny-tailed lizards by poachers, who are mostly nomads, elaborated inspector Aijaz Nondhani. "Different [nomad] families are involved in the trade and poachers usually pour water into holes to drive the lizards out of them and catch them," he explained.

"I estimate [poachers] take around Rs500 for each spiny-tailed lizard," said Inspector Khan, explaining that given the amount, poachers preferred catching them in dozens in a single attempt, so that they are able to make good money trading the reptiles in large numbers.

However, inspector Nondhani said a mature lizard could be sold for as much a Rs1,000.

"It is a good business for poor [nomad] families, but they have been warned against continuing the illegal trade," he added.

As per sources in the SWD, the main market of the trade is in Punjab's major cities, including Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan.

The demand in Punjab is significantly higher than in Sindh, said an SWD official, who asked not to be named, however, adding that the trade was illegal across Pakistan and should be discouraged.

According to inspector Khan, "the illegal trade was thriving few years ago but SWD teams are now taking measures to discourage and restrict it".

Sources in the SWD, who requested anonymity, claim the involvement of some of the department's officials in the unlawful business, posing a hurdle in the way of bringing the trafficking of lizards to an end.

"Some officials deployed in the field back elements involved in the illegal trade of spiny-tailed lizards," according to a senior SWD official. "They have been supporting the illegal activity for years, but [now] they are under strict surveillance," he said.

The allegation, however, has been denied by a game watcher, Sardar Shoro, deployed in Thatta's hilly region.

"I am not involved in this illegal trade," he clarified, assuring that he had been making all-out efforts to curb the illegal hunting and seizure of the lizards.

"[This is because] the lizards are environment friendly and, mainly inhabit sand hills. They are considered beneficial for livestock farming," explained SWD Chief Conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar.

He said his department has appealed to people to share any information they may come across about poachers so that immediate action can be taken against them, however, adding that during the recent crackdown they had only confiscated the lizards and not arrested any poachers.

"We have warned them to stop the illegal hunting and sale. Seizing lizards is punishment for them," said Mahar.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2020.