Bull frogs are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Therefore, catching, selling and killing frogs or serving and eating frog meat attracts punishment of three years in jail and a fine of Rs 25,000.
On Monday night, forest department officials along with the border police apprehended a Karnataka native for trying to smuggle frogs into Goa.
The forest department official C R Naik who nabbed the accused confirmed that 18 frogs had been seized and along the vehicle of the accused and that police.
Forest department are trying to map out the motorcycle pilots involved in smuggling in frogs to Goa and for how long the practice has been going on.
Animal rights activist Amrut Singh, condemning the practice, said that an insatiable demand at restaurants is responsible for frog poaching.
He said that the Indian pond frog, grass frog and the common Indian toad are also occasionally poached.
“Usually it is in the first week of June after the initial showers, where puddles of water are formed everywhere, the male frogs come out and call out for their female counterpart for mating” said a senior official who added that the frogs were hibernating all this time.
Activists said that hunters capture frogs at night by blinding them with torchlight. The torch beam helps to spot and temporarily immobilise the amphibian. The immobilised frog is then picked up firmly in the cavity between the thumb and the forefinger and then secured in a gunny sack, where it stays until a deal is struck with a hotelier. Once in the kitchen, their legs are chopped off while they are still alive as only the legs are used.
Activists explained that due to the massive toxic pesticide residues that accumulate in the fat deposits of frog meat, consumption of frogs can trigger paralytic strokes, cancer, kidney failures and other deformities. As frog meat is contraband, it is usually processed in unsanitary conditions, with no regulation whatsoever.
