KUALA LUMPUR: A villager in Kluang was caught with 35 endangered clouded monitor lizards valued at RM20,000 on Sunday.

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) legislation and enforcement director Dr Sivananthan Elagupillay said the man, in his 40s, had apparently caught the lizards in the nearby forest area. They were found in three gunnysacks behind his house.

"The lizards were meant to be sold on the exotic meat market. The lizards are valued for their meat."

There are only four species of monitor lizards in the country and three are endangered. A licence is needed to hunt the fourth species.

He said the public must realise that the number of monitor lizards was declining because of illegal hunting and that they did not breed well.

Aside from the clouded monitor lizard (biawak tikus), the other two endangered lizards are the Harlequin monitor lizard (biawak serunai) and Dumeril's monitor lizard (biawak kudung).

Sivananthan said only the water monitor lizard (biawak air), which are found in huge numbers around the country, could be hunted.

He said the man would be charged and he faced a fine of not more than RM3,000 or two years' jail, or both.

Is this article useful to you?