Theillegal wildlife tradeis big occupation , but it is n’t all ivory tusk and tiger fur – it can even affect an unexpected assortment of flora and brute . Laboratory tests have found that many on-line peddlers are fox customer into buy lounge lizard penises under false pretenses .
A late investigationby World Animal Protection find that poachers are selling the dried lizard hemipenis as Hatha Jodi , a tantric industrial plant root used in some traditional pattern from India and Nepal .
The hemipenis is thetwo - headedcopulatory organ of some male reptiles , admit lizards and snakes . Hatha Jodi , on the other hand , is a rare plant life base from fundamental India and Nepal believe by some to work good luck and fortune to anyone who possesses it .
The investigators found that the lounge lizard penises are being sell through online shop class featured on Amazon , Ebay , Alibaba , Snapdeal , Etsy , and other east - commerce platforms . The damage of the fake items range from $ 6 to $ 63 , depending on their size , although some were seen sell for up to $ 254 .
“ We were appall at the sheer audacity and weighing machine of this illegal wildlife trade , " jumper cable scientist Dr Neil D’Cruze of World Animal Protection said in astatement . " Deceitful dealer claiming to deal holy industrial plant root word labeled as ' Hatha Jodi ' are in fact monger dried lizard member to their unwitting customers . These illegal items are readily uncommitted in the UK and USA with potential street value of £ 50,000 GBP ” .
The conmen in question are using the dry out member of monitor lizards as it bears a resemblance to the ancestor , yet is easier to find . The lizard are get in the wild using traps and snares . They then have their throats slit or their skull demolish before their genitalia are removed . All monitoring equipment lizards are label as “ Schedule I ” animals under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972 , mean it is illegal to merchandise the animal or any of its body part .
A recent wildlife trade enforcement binge discover the lizards being stored for this exact role . The raid at a house in the urban center of Bhubaneswar found up to 210 Hatha Jodi , including hemipenis fromBengalandyellow monitorlizards .
research lab trial in the UK and India were used to identify the existent nature of these theorise Hatha Jodi . Upon further investigation , they even come up that many of the “ source ” were in reality plastic molds of lounge lizard penis .
uncalled-for to say , there ’s no scientific evidence to intimate the root will bestow you fortune or good luck , and that certainly throw rightful for a lizard phallus or a plastic stamp .
