Asian Gecko Threatened By Medicine Trade

[webfact]

Asian gecko threatened by medicine trade


Photo: Stuart McK

KUALA LUMPUR: (AFP): -- Activists warned Thursday that wild populations of Southeast Asia's striking Tokay Gecko were in danger of being over-hunted for use in traditional medicine in China and other countries.

Calling the trade "colossal", wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC called on authorities in the region to implement tougher regulations and limits on commerce involving the lizard, the second-largest gecko species.

"The majority of Tokay Geckos consumed as part of this trade are harvested from the wild," said a new TRAFFIC study.

It added that despite high reproductive rates and adaptability, Tokay Gecko populations "are still susceptible to over-harvesting" and said population declines have been reported in countries like Thailand and Indonesia.

The Tokay Gecko measures up to 40 centimetres (15 inches) long and over 300 grams (11 ounces) in weight and is distinguished by a brilliant coating of spots that range from bright yellow to red and its loud croaking call.

It ranges throughout Southeast Asia and is not a protected species in most countries.

It is used in traditional medicines in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam to treat asthma, diabetes and other ailments, TRAFFIC said, adding that an individual specimen can command hundreds of dollars.

TRAFFIC said while the overall volume of the trade was not known, import data showed Taiwan alone has imported 15 million of the geckos since 2004.

Trade accelerated in recent years amid rumours the geckos could help cure AIDS, which the World Health Organization has refuted.

TRAFFIC said that belief has since faded but the traditional-medicine trade continued, and called for research to gauge the impact on wild populations.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-04-15

[mamypoko]

Asian gecko threatened by medicine trade

...and my kitty cat

[Fgis]

I often see snakes in "Snake wine" but hardly see "Gecko wine", do they sell it also or they are not made to be put in bottles ?

[Locationthailand]

If any of these 'traditional' medicines can be proven to be effective then why not harvest in controlled conditions rather than at the hands of poachers? And why is it the Chinese seem to have the greatest demand for these potions and pieces of other species? Superstition and ignorance goes a long way to creating demand.

[pain666]

This chinese 'medicine' is getting too far. Tigers who's paws are being cut off to get to the claws, bears in cages with copper pipes in their gall bladders, now geckos... And don't forget they simply cut of the fins off sharks and throw the sharks back into the ocean...

Ah, who cares, we must respect their traditions.

[Mrjlh]

Superstition and ignorance never ends. Governments like China need to start publicizing the fact that animals like the Gecko do not cure cancer or diseases. Shark fin soup has not nutritional value. Rhino horns are only good for the Rhino. So many falsehoods and Urban legends to stop.

[aarn]

A common reason, that many of these animals (and animal parts) are used in so-called 'medicines',

is that the animals have trace elements in their body, which are not found in certain areas.

For example, seahorses are a 'source' iodine. Inland, mountainous areas often have iodine-deficient soil.

So any old warrior who had never seen the sea, might eat some seahorse and start feeling good - particularly a boost in libido.

I wouldn't pretend to know what is in rhino horn or tiger penis,

but of course 'feeling' good is partly in the mind, and items with phallic connotations.

And yes, providing better education and health services to poorer people can reduce such trade. AA

[Justincase]

We used to have a family of these living in our garden until the maids boyfriend found out that for a large Tokay Gecko he could get 5000 Baht - needless to say he caught the large male one and when he presented it to the middlemen they gave him only 500 Baht.

The problem is that thousands of them are captured for money every day and they cannot sustain this killing rate - Tokay Geckos are really useful to have around your house as their main diet consists of cockroaches and mice so removing them can cause problems

Their bodies are ground up to become ingredients in special Chinese medicines and potions - they are not used in drinks

[Ragzilb]

You can call this a loose loose situation, if nature dont cut us down, we eventually will cut down nature. We live in a Finite planet and only have THAT much ressource. Either we need to get off this planet and start loking for more ressources or we need to start live sustainable

[RisqEM]

They're also sold for about $10 in the US as pets. Pretty sure the indiscriminate killing of them by the uneducated who believe they're bad luck is also a factor.

Heaven forbid they respect their animals and don't kill out of fear or stupid superstitions.

[Thai at Heart]

I would have thought they might be prized by inmates of prisons to scale the walls.

I mean honestly, this hokum is destroying some species so unnecessarily.

[EyesWideOpen]

China is like a black hole, sucking everything in... Sort of sad, as everytime I hear a gecko calling I know I am in Asia !! :-)

[silverhawk_usa]

I have had an infestation of these Tokay in and around my home just outside Chiang Mai, the past year. I don't see that they are harmful, except they scare the crap out of my girlfriend and at times are noisy. They do kill mice. Sometimes I hear a chase going on between my roof and ceiling making a hell of racket. They are messy as they hangout in the same spots depositing a fair amount of large droppings. I have become fairly adept at catching them. actually kind of fun (total count now 35).They do have a nasty bite. I have only had one drop his tail, which is normal defense mechanism and it grows back. If cornered on a wall or ceiling, they will drop to the ground and make a run for it. I don't harm them. I relocate them to the 'wild' well away from my house. I now only see one or two occasionally,

[OzMick]

You might think that eating a bit of lizard to cure asthma, diabetes or AIDS, or even a bit of tiger to put some lead in your pencil, is pretty stupid. But I remember some years back when UK supermarkets refused to stock kangaroo meat because they were being hunted to extinction (kangaroos, not supermarkets).

[Thai at Heart]

You might think that eating a bit of lizard to cure asthma, diabetes or AIDS, or even a bit of tiger to put some lead in your pencil, is pretty stupid. But I remember some years back when UK supermarkets refused to stock kangaroo meat because they were being hunted to extinction (kangaroos, not supermarkets).

Ah, but people weren't eating kangaroo to be able to leap tall buildings.

[Dap]

A year or so ago I read an article about someone being paid 200,000 baht for a rather large specimen to be sent to China for medicinal purposes. At that time I remarked to my wife that this would likely be the death knell for the Asian Tookay. In this land where close to all things that walk, swim or fly have been (and continue to be) decimated w/o any control, the gecko will join them soon enough. My houses here have been blessed with the formidable, cartoon character for near 20 years and now they seem to be retreating. Ah,mores the pity.

[AleG]

If any of these 'traditional' medicines can be proven to be effective then why not harvest in controlled conditions rather than at the hands of poachers? And why is it the Chinese seem to have the greatest demand for these potions and pieces of other species? Superstition and ignorance goes a long way to creating demand.

Traditional, or alternative medicine that has proven to work is called medicine.

All this predatory animal parts business is nothing more than exploiting people's ignorance at the cost of the biodiversity of the planet.

I have the suspicion that this traditional medicine modus operandi is to get the most esoteric and odd looking parts and substances too woo their costumers. Case in point, the very odd looking manta ray gill rakes that have recently entered the "traditional medicine" pharmacopeia for different ailments. They just invented a new traditional remedy and put manta rays into the threatened species list.

[raybal5]

You might think that eating a bit of lizard to cure asthma, diabetes or AIDS, or even a bit of tiger to put some lead in your pencil, is pretty stupid. But I remember some years back when UK supermarkets refused to stock kangaroo meat because they were being hunted to extinction (kangaroos, not supermarkets).

Did anyone in the UK supermarket realise that kangaroos are a long long way from becoming extinct? In many areas they are in plague numbers.

In 2011 there were estimated to be a minimum of 34 million http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/wild-harvest/kangaroo/population.html compared to an estimated 23 million sheep and 29 million beef cattle.

Just because the kangaroo is on our national coat of arms and many think it looks cute is no reason not to utilise it as a source of food. Talking about kangaroos for food is far removed from using lizards and other wildlife for questionable medicinal purposes.

[NongKhaiKid]

Asian gecko threatened by medicine trade

...and my kitty cat

Are Thai politicians involved ?

[seajae]

You might think that eating a bit of lizard to cure asthma, diabetes or AIDS, or even a bit of tiger to put some lead in your pencil, is pretty stupid. But I remember some years back when UK supermarkets refused to stock kangaroo meat because they were being hunted to extinction (kangaroos, not supermarkets).

Dont know where you got that crap from, they are in plague proportions in outback Australia and have been for a lot of years. The only people that would believe otherwise have obviosly never visited the outback or are staunch greenies. I lived in the outback for a lot of years and still visit there every so often, you cant drive down any of the roads without seeing dead roos(road kill) lining them, they are just everywhere and always have been/will be).

[silverhawk_usa]

Some staggering numbers from the TRAFFIC website.

According to Customs records, Taiwan has imported an estimated
15,000,000 dried Tokay Geckos since 2004. Over two thirds (71%) of these
Tokay Geckos, came legally from Thailand.

The remainder were from Java, Indonesia,

where national legislation only permits the export of live
Tokay Geckos for the pet trade. In 2011 a shipment of 6.75 tonnes (an
estimated 1,200,000 individuals) of dried Tokay Geckos, illegally
harvested in Java, was intercepted en route to Hong Kong.

[Considered Opinion]

If any of these 'traditional' medicines can be proven to be effective then why not harvest in controlled conditions rather than at the hands of poachers? And why is it the Chinese seem to have the greatest demand for these potions and pieces of other species? Superstition and ignorance goes a long way to creating demand.

As a race, the Chinese appear to have inordinately small appendages, and they feel that tiger dicks and geckos will help them perform like the rest of us.

[connda]

Dukae, Dukae, Dukae, dukea....dukae....

No worry in my village. The normal Thais are totally freaked out by these thing. Like the first commenter said, the danger to Geckos in my backyard are my cats and dogs.

<cats and dogs> "Hey dukae, lets play, come on come on, play play play...."

<two hours later, cat's disappeared, dog says> Mom, Dad -- why doesn't dukea move anymore. Do you have any food?

[connda]

If any of these 'traditional' medicines can be proven to be effective then why not harvest in controlled conditions rather than at the hands of poachers? And why is it the Chinese seem to have the greatest demand for these potions and pieces of other species? Superstition and ignorance goes a long way to creating demand.

As a race, the Chinese appear to have inordinately small appendages, and they feel that tiger dicks and geckos will help them perform like the rest of us.

"It's not the meat, it's the motion." -- Maria Muldaur <November 30, 1973>

I had the chance to hear her sign that live in 1973. She was hot!

[OzMick]

You might think that eating a bit of lizard to cure asthma, diabetes or AIDS, or even a bit of tiger to put some lead in your pencil, is pretty stupid. But I remember some years back when UK supermarkets refused to stock kangaroo meat because they were being hunted to extinction (kangaroos, not supermarkets).

Dont know where you got that crap from, they are in plague proportions in outback Australia and have been for a lot of years. The only people that would believe otherwise have obviosly never visited the outback or are staunch greenies. I lived in the outback for a lot of years and still visit there every so often, you cant drive down any of the roads without seeing dead roos(road kill) lining them, they are just everywhere and always have been/will be).

That's why it was stupid.

[galoubet]

I have a pair of these wonderful creatures that live behind some wooden pallets behind my bathroom in Kanchanaburi. The male makes an unbelievable noise for its size and is especially vocal at night. I regard them as part of my family, same as my four dogs, and wouldn't be without them.

[funinthesun]

After seeing one near her house, my Thai girlfriend informed me of a pet shop in Bang Tao that was offering a reward of 1 million baht for a Tokay weighing over 1kg. I did see the sign and it did say 1 million but what the rest of the Thai writing said I have no idea. 2 years ago

[nuananddon]

More BS on both ends.

[funinthesun]

Maybe not...

http://www.thaipulse.com/blog/thai-wildlife/tokay-geckos-gekko-for-sale-300k-market-exploding/

But like I said couldn't read what the sign said

[EyesWideOpen]

$ 30,000 dollars for a big gecko ?? Guess that is the end of them.. :-( Wait, before they are all captured and sold to Malaysia, how about someone starting a gecko farm ??

Edited April 15, 2013 by EyesWideOpen