Monitor Lizard rescued by forest officials
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, NOV 12
Officials of the Forest department on Friday evening rescued a meter-long Monitor Lizard which was up for sale at the Rawandond area of the city here.
Acting on a tip off that a person is seeking customers to dispose off the Lizard, forest officials descended at Rawanfond and lay in wait for the sellers to strike a deal with the customers.
Coincidentally, the person approached the Forest Official Julio Quadros without reaslising for a moment that he has descended at Rawanfond to rescue the Lizard. “The man asked me whether I am interested in buying the Lizard. When he showed me the Lizard, I disclosed my identity and effected the seizure”, he said.
Given there was no resistance from the person, whose only plea was to return back the Lizard to him, the forest officials took possession of the Lizard and left the man without action. “The monitor is one the endangered species and it is an offense to keep it in custody or kill the same for meat”, Quadros said.
The Lizard weighing 2.5 kilograms was later taken to the Forest department office at Aquem and will be released.
