Officials from the forest department arrested two men on Thursday for selling the meat and blood of monitor lizards.
C. Murugesan, range officer with the Forest Department, Velachery headquarters range, said that following a video which was being circulated in which a monitor lizard was shown to be cut and its blood sold, they were on the lookout for the persons who had indulged in the act.
“Five teams were formed on October 23, after the video came to the department’s notice, to track down the people seen in it and the two men were picked up near Tambaram today,” Mr. Murugesan said.
“The blood was mixed with soda and sold illegally in small quantities for Rs. 200 as people believe the blood and meat have medicinal value,” Mr. Murugesan said.
Monitor lizards are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
