We present the story of the Bengal monitor lizard, a victim of superstition.

 

Bengal monitor lizards are majestic reptiles evocative of dinosaurs. According to a Maratha legend, this formidable lizard helped secure a battle win by scaling the towering walls of a fort with a rope for the commander to climb up. These animals are relatively harmless to humans, comfortably scavenging around human-dominated settlements and keeping the population of pests in check. However, these once commonplace lizards are becoming rare to sight in certain landscapes. Fuelled by superstitious beliefs, they are hunted and traded for their copulatory organs, skin, meat, fat, claws, and blood. We must protect this species or risk losing both an ecological ally and a part of our history.

 

This film is developed by the Counter Wildlife Trafficking team of WCS-India and Dusty Foot Productions.