Odisha man booked for cooking monitor lizard and posting video on social media

A Odisha youtuber has been arrested by police for allegedly uploading a video of him cooking a monitor lizard which is a protected species under the Indian law, as per a report by NDTV. He had uploaded the video on both Youtube and Facebook.

Rupa Nayak, the accused in this case is a resident of Asanbani village. Nayak reportedly came across the lizard when he was returning home with his wife from her maternal home in Bhadrak. He came across the dead lizard near a roadside near the Banta area which he took home and later uploaded the video of him cooking its meat on social media.

The Forest department took suo motu cognisance of the incident after the video went viral. Rupa has been taken into custody and has admitted to the act during interrogation.

Nayak has been charged under several provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, including Sections 2(16)(a)(b), 9, 39(1)(b), 48(a)(b), and 50(1). The case has been registered under the Thakurmunda Forest Range, and the accused has been presented before the court for further legal proceedings.

India is home to several species of monitor lizards, with six recognized species found across the country. The most common among them is the Bengal monitor (Varanus bengalensis), which is widespread throughout much of India. Other species include the desert monitor, yellow monitor, and the rare and protected water monitor. While exact population numbers are difficult to determine due to their elusive nature, monitor lizards are generally considered stable in many regions but face threats from habitat loss and illegal trade. All monitor lizard species in India are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.