A 3.5-feet-long monitor lizard was rescued from an autorickshaw in Mulund West on Monday. The reptile was found by the driver on his vehicle’s CNG tank. Known as ‘ghorpad’ in Marathi, monitor lizards are becoming a regular sight in Mulund, Thane and Borivali, as these areas share boundaries with Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
Animal conservationist Pawan Sharma said a two-member rescue team was sent after a message of the lizard trapped in an autorickshaw was received on Twitter. The rescue operation lasted two hours, said Sharma, who is also the founder of Mumbai-based NGO, Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW).
RAWW members Joaquim Naik and Ritik Jaiswal handed over the reptile to the forest department, which conducted a medical check of the animal before releasing it in the wild. Sharma said, “The lizard was active and had no visible external injuries. It must have been displaced during the recent heavy rains.”
The Indian monitor lizard is often found in vegetation in cities. In Mumbai, it has a considerable population in Aarey forest and Sanjay Gandhi National Park. A terrestrial reptile, it’s up to six-feet-long and feeds on arthropods, ground birds, eggs and fish. Sharma said it’s found in cities due to open drains and garbage. He said they get displaced during water-logging and find their way into human habitats.
Sharma said this particular animal in Mulund seemed to be looking for some warmth and took shelter on a CNG tank in an auto-rickshaw.
The monitor lizard is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which gives the reptile as much protection as tigers and leopards. Unfortunately, it’s often killed for its meat, blood and oil due to unfounded beliefs that it has aphrodisiac and medical properties.
