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| Over a thousand geckos discovered in the trunk of a taxi in Cambodia. Photo courtesy of Wildlife Alliance. |
May 08, 2011
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
Over a thousand tokay geckos (Gekko gecko) were found in a single trunk of a taxi by the Wildlife Rapid Response Team (WRRT), forestry officials, and military police in Cambodia. WRRT is wildlife-crimes program run by Wildlife Alliance.
Boxes filled the taxi’s trunk. In the boxes were bags stuffed with 1,027 tokay geckos, of which nineteen had perished.
"[The tokay geckos] were likely going to be turned into food or possibly dried out for use in traditional medicines. There are also reports that Malaysian syndicates are buying them to fight them in rings, with onlookers gambling on the results," reads a blog from Wildlife Alliance on the incident.
Both the alleged wildlife trafficker and the taxi driver, a relative of the trafficker, were apprehended. The pair do not face jail time as the species is not considered endangered, however they face a maximum fine of three times the market value of the species, in this case nearly $4,000.
The surviving thousand-plus lizards were returned to the wild.
Native to much of tropical Asia, tokay geckos are considered generally common, although they have not been evaluated by the IUCN Red List. In some parts of the world they have been introduced and thus are considered pesky invasive species. However in their native habitat, they help keep insect numbers in check.
8 comments:
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer every day.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Koh Tral was a Cambodian island, and technically and legally, remained a Cambodian island until today.
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
I do hope those was sell for China.
During Pol Pot regime I saw fast all chinese exports drunk wine with dried Gecko.
Khmer men today are shit and chicken can't even stand for their Nation and Country.
Khmer Chinese are the one who traitor and killed khmer in Khmer history such as Duc!
តិចទៀត យួនត្រួតក្បាលទាំងអស់គ្នាហើយ
យួនមួយថ្ងៃចូលប៉ុន្មានក្បាល គិតមើលទៅ
1:27 PM
Nothing wrong with ur view. Khmer Chinese in Thailand were the ones that took Khmer provinces for Thai people.
លោកសមរង្សីបើចង់ឈ្នះឆ្នោតអាណាត់ក្រោយៗទៀតត្រូវតែដូរមេបក្សប្រឆាំងហើយ។បើនៅតែមេបក្សមួយនេះគឺគ្មានបានផល់ប្រយោជន៍នោះទេមានតែការ
ខាត់បង់ជារៀងរាល់ថ្ងៃ។បើអ្នកថ្មីចូលខ្លួនមកប្រឆាំង
កុំយករបបបរទេសមកនិយាយអីពីព្រោះពលរដ្ធខ្មែរ
សម័យនេះគែស្គាល់អស់ហើយ។បណ្តាញរបស់គណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជានៅគ្រប់ពិភពលោកហើយពួកគេ
យល់ដឹងអំពីច្បាប់បរទេសអស់ហើយ។បើចង់បាន
ឆ្នោតច្រើនមានតែធ្វើយ៉ាងដូចម្តេចឲ្យប្រជាពលរដ្ធ
ខ្មែរលោកមានមានសង្ឃឺមទៅលើបក្សអស់លោក
ប្រឆាំងផង។បើដើរឃោសនាដួចសព្វថ្ងៃនេះពលរដ្ធខ្មែរមិនចូលត្រចៀកនោះទេ។បើចង់ឲ្យប្រជាពល
រដ្ធលោកស្រឡាញ់បក្សប្រឆាំងត្រូវតែប្រឆាំងក្នុង
ការអភិវឌ្ឍន៍ប្រទេសជាតិកុំប្រឆាំងដើម្បីបំផ្លាញជាតិឬក៏ក្នុងភាពស្អប់ខ្ពើមរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលសព្វថ្ងៃបើធ្វើ
យ៉ាងនេះគឺមិនបានសម្រេចនោះទេ។
បើរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលសង់ស្ពានតួចត្រូវប្រឆាំងភ្លាម
ពីព្រោះមិនគ្រប់ប្រជាជនប្រើប្រាសបាននោះទេធ្វើ
យ៉ាងនេះគឺពិតជាប្រទេសជឿនលឿនមិនខានឡើយ។បើសៀមវាយប្រទេសកម្ពុជាត្រូវតែជួយគាំទ្រ
ទើបប្រជាជនខ្មែរលោកចូលចិត្តគាំទ្របក្សប្រឆាំង។
bUT i AM A KHMER tAKAY!
people in cambodia ought be educated about the importance of having gecko in their home, etc, etc. gecko help to get rid of insects that can be harmful to human. gecko eats insects like cockroaches, mosquito, centipede, etc, etc, ok! so it is useful for have gecko. the same with harmless snakes, too, they keep rodents population down, ok!
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