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Report on the Awareness Workshops "Perceptions of Wildlife Conservation of

Today's Youth in West Bengal, India, with a Focus on Monitor Lizards"

Article  in  Biawak · December 2019

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 ARTICLES
Biawak, 13(2), pp. 94–100
© 2019 by International Varanid Interest Group

Report on the Awareness Workshops

“Perceptions of Wildlife Conservation of Today’s Youth in
West Bengal, India, with a Focus on Monitor Lizards”
SHREYA BHATTACHARYA1,7*, SYEDA ZUBOOR ZIA2,3, SANTANU MAHATO2,4,
RAVI KUMAR GANGWAR2, NEHA SINGH2,3, MARK AULIYA5,6,7 & ANDRÉ KOCH5,7
Institute for Wildlife Conservation
1

Szent István University

2100 Gödöllő, Páter Károly u.1. Hungary

2
Environment, Agriculture and Education Society (EAES)
Bareilly, U.P.,India

3
Department of Environmental Science
Bareilly College
Bareilly, U.P.,India

4
Biopsychology Laboratory and Institution of Excellence
University of Mysore
Mysore, Karnataka, India

5
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig & Leibniz Institute for Biodiversity of Animals
Department of Herpetology
Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
6

IUCN SSC Monitor Lizard Specialist Group

7

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract - Several awareness workshops were jointly organized by the Environment, Agriculture
and Education Society (EAES) along with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources (IUCN) Species Survival Commission’s (SSC) Monitor Lizard Specialist Group
(MLSG) in five districts of West Bengal, India from 29 July to 2 August 2019. The main objective of
the workshops was to create widespread awareness among the local youth regarding the conservation,
utilization and illegal trade of wildlife, with a special focus on monitor lizards in India. In total, more
than 1,000 students aged 12 to 24 participated in the workshops.
 BIAWAK VOL. 13 NO. 2 95

Background to the Awareness Workshops V. bengalensis, V. flavescens and V. griseus are listed
in Appendix I (thus, prohibiting all commercial trade),
The traditional hunting practices and self-sufficiency whereas V. salvator is listed in Appendix II. In West
of a community with food play an important role in the Bengal, three species of monitor lizards occur: V.
coexistence of man and wildlife (Ormsby & Bhagwat, bengalensis, V. salvator, and V. flavescens (Chatterjee &
2010; Bhattacharya & Koch, 2018). Since ancient times, Bhattacharyya, 2015).
local communities and ethnic groups across the world A series of awareness workshops entitled “Perceptions
have largely depended on wildlife for diverse utilization of Wildlife Conservation of Today’s Youth in West
purposes such as consumption, cultural ritualistic Bengal, India, with a Focus on Monitor Lizards” were
practices and traditional medicine (Chakravorty et jointly organized by the Environment, Agriculture, and
al., 2011; Bhupathy et al., 2013; Kendie et al., 2018). Education Society (EAES) along with the IUCN Species
Likewise, the use of monitor lizards in India dates back Survival Commission’s (SSC) Monitor Lizard Specialist
centuries (Das, 1989), if not millennia. There are various Group (MLSG) in five districts of West Bengal, eastern
traditional uses of monitor lizards’ parts in southern India. The main aim of the workshops was to address
India (Das, 1989; Auffenberg, 1989, 1994), some of the key challenges responsible for the exploitation of
which include the consumption of monitor eggs as a monitor lizards in India to the younger generations and
delicacy and various uses of monitor meat. Oil obtained to raise awareness among them to influence, motivate
from the fat bodies of monitors is used for eye treatment. and improve their knowledge of these particular reptile
Additionally, ancient country doctors, or “hakims” as species. The primary objectives of the workshops were
they were commonly called, used parts of monitors to:
(e.g., Varanus griseus) as a source of medicine.
Today, in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, (a) gain an understanding of the perceptions of younger
monitor lizard meat is widely consumed and the generations regarding the rapid encroachment and
body parts find applications in diverse traditional fragmentation of forests and wetlands in India
and medicinal purposes (Chakravorty et al., 2011;
Choudhury & Choudhury, 2019). With the effects (b) gain an understanding of their attitudes about the
of modernization, commercialized food sources and presence, interactions, and conflicts related to monitor
medicines have become more available and accessible lizards found in their areas
to mankind than ever before (Pelto & Pelto, 1983; Mina
et al., 2007). However, in spite of these conditions, (c) understand and document their perceptions of the
illegal use of wildlife in several parts of India still extent of traditional and cultural utilization of monitor
persists (Chakravorty et al., 2011; Bhupathy et al., lizards and their derivatives
2013; Bhattacharya & Koch, 2018). Thus, it is important
to address and identify the social values and needs of (d) gain insights into the perceptions about the illegal
a community to deal with such situations (Madden & trade of monitor products such as “hatha jodi” (i.e.,
McQuinn, 2014). hemipenes) (D’Cruze et al., 2018; Sharma et al., 2019)
Four species of monitor lizard are native to India,
i.e., Varanus bengalensis, V. salvator, V. flavescens and V. (e) provide a clear picture about the ecological role of
griseus, and all are protected and listed under Schedule monitor lizards and why they need to be conserved
I, Part II of The Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972,
Government of India (Das, 1989; Koch et al., 2013). (f) explain the importance of marshlands, wetlands, and
According to the International Union for Conservation forest fringes for the preservation of biodiversity
of Nature and Natural Resources’ (IUCN) Red List, the
current conservation status of V. bengalensis, V. salvator (g) spread awareness about the Wildlife (Protection)
and V. flavescens is considered to be of “Least Concern”. Act of India, 1972, and discuss the protection status and
While the former two species were assessed in 2009, the penalties related to all four species of monitor lizards
latter was assessed in 1996. The conservation status of found in India
V. griseus is pending, and reassessments of the former
three species are currently being conducted. Moreover, (h) encourage and motivate the youth to be responsible
according to the Convention on International Trade in and stand against the exploitation of monitor lizards
Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), along with other wildlife in their area
96 BHATTACHARYA ET AL. - REPORT ON MONITOR AWARENESS WORKSHOPS

Threats to Monitor Lizards in India (Choudhury & Choudhury, 2019). In addition, illegal
hunting festivals are celebrated in different parts of West
Habitat loss and fragmentation are considered to be the Bengal throughout the year (Fig. 1). These traditional
greatest threats to wildlife across the world (Eigenbrod hunting activities pose a severe threat to local populations
et al., 2008; Sodhi et al., 2010). In different parts of of monitor lizards and other wildlife and might be
India, there is a rapid loss of wetlands for agricultural responsible for their decline in several parts of the state
land conversions, direct deforestation and hydrological (Bhattacharya, pers. obs.). These hunting festivals,
alterations, among others (Foote et al., 1996). There is commonly known as “shikarutsab” in Bengali (“shikar”
also a constant degradation of mangrove forests along refers to hunting and “utsab” means festival), are cultural
the eastern coast of India, which also includes the traditions that are passed on from one generation to the
Sundarbans, a UNESCO world heritage site in West next. Young children also participate in these festivals.
Bengal and common habitat for V. salvator (Chatterjee Although all four monitor lizard species are protected
& Bhattacharyya, 2015; Chaudhuri et al., 2015). in India (see above), these hunting traditions still persist
Apart from the various aspects of their utilization by in the outskirts of West Bengal and among other areas,
humans, monitor lizards are often considered to be pests due to the lack of awareness campaigns among the local
and are known to cause conflicts with poultry farmers communities and more relaxed law enforcement.

Methodology and Schedule of the Workshops

The workshops were conducted in five districts of West

Bengal, namely Hooghly, Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum,
and Howrah from 29 July to 2 August 2019 (Fig. 2). We
aimed for one school and one college in each district
except for Birbhum, where we conducted the workshop
at one college. Participating school students were from
sixth through twelfth grades (roughly 12 to 18 years
of age) and college students were from Bachelor’s and
Master’s degree programs (roughly 18 to 24 years-old).
The duration of the workshops was one and a half hours,
and each workshop was divided into five thematic parts.
During the first part of the workshop, questionnaires
with 20 multiple-choice questions were distributed to
the students. The questions were related to the general
perceptions of the audience about biodiversity, wildlife,
habitat destruction, filling in wetlands and marshlands,
and general ideas about monitor lizards –their presence,
interactions, conflicts, utilization related to traditional
or cultural practices, and their illegal exploitation for
the international trade (see above). After a stipulated
time interval of 10 to 15 minutes the questionnaires
were collected, so as to obtain unbiased perspectives
of the participants prior to the lecture. The next part
of the workshop included a Power Point presentation
of approximately 40 minutes given by the first author,
which addressed the following topics:

(a) general description of biodiversity and wildlife

conservation
Fig. 1. A boy with his monitor lizard kills; four specimens
of V. flavescens during a hunting festival on the outskirts (b) importance of wetlands and threats by destruction
of West Bengal. Photographed by Tanmoy Ghosh.
 BIAWAK VOL. 13 NO. 2 97

Fig. 2. The brochure of the

awareness workshops.

(c) a brief description of monitor lizards, their Outcomes of the Workshops

geographical distribution and importance in the
ecosystems, as well as their protection status in India More than 1,000 students participated in the
workshops from the five districts of West Bengal (Figs.
(d) local and commercial (international) use of monitor 3–6). Apart from spreading awareness among the youth
lizards and their derivatives regarding the conservation of monitor lizards, the
workshops were designed to collect baseline data about
(e) the illegal trade of wildlife with a special focus on the social perceptions of the young generation towards
the commercialization of trade in “hatha jodi” in India monitor lizards found in their region. We aimed to
obtain unbiased data from the participants; hence, two
(f) brief introduction of the IUCN Red List and The different questionnaires were distributed–one prior to
Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972 the workshop and one at the end to gain an idea about
the influence and effectiveness of the workshops on the
(g) brief description of the IUCN SSC Monitor Lizard youth.
Specialist Group (MLSG) and their mission While the detailed statistical analysis of the
questionnaires will be published elsewhere, as one main
(h) conclusion of the presentation by addressing the outcome of the workshops, it turned out that the majority
plight of Indian monitor lizards, if the unsustainable of the young participants were unaware of the Wildlife
utilization and the illegal trade of the species continues (Protection) Act of India and the protection status of
monitor lizards in their country. This broad unawareness
The third part of the workshops was an interactive among the Indian population may explain the wide
session with the students, addressing their questions and exploitation and utilization aspects of the species. The
comments on the questionnaire and presentation. The responses of the participants were mostly positive after
fourth part was to distribute a follow-up questionnaire to the workshops and we were approached with several
the students in order to compare and determine if their interesting questions regarding the traditional and
perceptions towards wildlife conservation and monitor cultural utilization practices and misconceptions related
lizards might have changed from the workshops. The to monitor lizards in different communities across each
fifth part included the distribution of participatory district. It is noteworthy to mention that traditional
certificates to motivate the students to participate in the beliefs of the utilization of monitor lizards are not equal
workshops and fill up the questionnaires. across all the communities, but gradually differ from
98 BHATTACHARYA ET AL. - REPORT ON MONITOR AWARENESS WORKSHOPS

Fig. 3. A glimpse during the workshop at Bamnia Fig. 4. Distribution of feedback forms to the participants
Vivekananda Vidyapeeth High School after the of Sonamukhi College by the team members of EAES
distribution of the first questionnaire. after the interactive session.

one district to another based on their ancient roots. For Thus, it is essential to focus on the complexity of the
example, in Birbhum District oil obtained from the fat of social, psychological, and systematic root causes
monitors is used for the treatment of joint pains, whereas (Madden & McQuinn, 2014) that have driven the
in Purulia District their claws and meat are used for utilization of monitor lizards in India up until today.
traditional medicinal purposes. Moreover, in most cases, the extent of exploitation is
unknown and commonly unreported. This situation can
Conclusions of the Workshops significantly affect the population dynamics of monitor
lizards and might also result in local extirpations of
It is a well-known fact that the utilization of monitor these species.
lizard parts has ancient roots in South Asia (Das, 1989; Younger generations play a significant role in shaping
Auffenberg, 1989, 1994). Hence, besides focusing only future society and the environment. Hence, it is crucial
on the strict law enforcement and compensation to to educate and thereby motivate and influence them
poultry farmers for losses by monitor lizards, it is equally with logical reasoning and ethical responsibility on the
important to identify and address the psychological current situation and consequently change their mindsets
attitudes and needs of a community that are responsible to bring about positive differences in their communities.
for these social conflicts (Madden & McQuinn, 2014). Therefore, to improve the current situation, it is highly
recommended to conduct similar workshops throughout
local village communities across different parts of
India especially for the younger generation along with
other groups of audiences (i.e., varied age groups and

Fig .6. All participants after the completion of a successful

Fig. 5. The first author during the presentation session at workshop at Bamnia Vivekananda Vidyapeeth High
Gangadharpur High School of Howrah District. School.
 BIAWAK VOL. 13 NO. 2 99

occupations). Additionally, field studies should also be African Journal of Science and Research 3(7): 1–7.
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Indian monitor lizard populations. & B. Nath. 2015. A review of threats and
vulnerabilities to mangrove habitats: With special
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Received: 28 October 2019; Accepted: 20 December 2019

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