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WildCRU researchers uncover international online trade in lizard penis for use in tantric rituals…
Spear headed by WildCRU, and published in the scientific journal Oryx today, a joint Indian/British team of investigators and scientists have uncovered a major international fraud where Monitor lizard hemipenis (male sexual organs) are being deliberately passed off as Tantric plant roots to unwitting customers via major online retailers including amazon, ebay, Alibaba, Snapdeal and etsy among others.
Extensive raids are being conducted across India, and wildlife enforcement authorities have uncovered large caches of ‘Hatha Jodi’. Across Asian diaspora in UK, USA and Europe, Tantric practitioners strongly believe that ‘Hatha Jodi’, a plant root, if appropriately energised by a guru, can change a person’s life bringing immense wealth and happiness. However, what is being sold to them is the dried penis of a protected lizard that is being trapped and killed in India.
(© Neil D’Cruze) Laboratory tests, carried out by scientists at Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Oxford have evidence showing that ‘Hatha Jodi’ sold as ‘holy’ plant roots are actually dried Monitor lizard genitalia (known as hemipenis) or plastic mouldings made from them
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(© Neil D'Cruze) Although illegal, researchers discovered Monitor Lizard genitalia sold as “Hatha Jodi” available for purchase from major online retailers including amazon, ebay and etsy in the UK and USA; they found hundreds of items, some priced at over £200 GBP and estimate a street value of more than £50,000 -
(© Neil D'Cruze) Monitor lizards are already targeted by poachers to meet consumer demand for their skin, meat and body parts; due to conservation concern, all commercial trade in the four species from India is illegal as they are provided the highest level of national and international protection available