Snake For Sale: Open Trade Of Reptile Signifies Heightening Threat To Wild Species

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jul, 2020 ) :Sporting white beard and wearing a matching cap, an old man in late sixties became focus of attention of pedestrians at a busy and congested Qissa Khawani bazaar of Peshawar city because of displaying a snake in his hand for sale.

The light brown colored snake with dark black dots on skin that was dangling from the hand of the elderly man was being put on sale at a nominal price of Rs. 1000.

The man identified as Mubarak Shah was on hide and seek with the reptile by displaying it in flash of an eye to attract people and then putting it back in the satchel made up of a cloth to avoid watchful eyes of law enforcers.

Two young boys stared the snake catcher with curiosity while some passerby kept gazing the creature from a safe distance. Noticing interest of the youngsters in snake, the catcher expressed willingness to sell the snake on a discounted rate of Rs. 800.

One of the onlookers asked as how can he feed it, the catcher replied it can be fed with anything, but it likes milk.

Another expressed concern over danger of bite by the snake to the carrier, but Mubarak Shah claimed that he has read some Quranic verses because of which the reptile will not bite anyone.

To gain confidence of the bystanders, the seller asked one of them to hold the snake in his hands and claimed that it will not bite him, but fear overcomes amazement and the person could not dare to fulfill the offer.

To a question by this scribe about habitat of the snake, Mubarak did not disclose the location by saying he keeps on searching different areas mostly in merged districts including Bajaur.

"Sometimes I also catch snakes from Peshawar," he hastened to add. Whenever someone asks me to catch a snake from his home, office or business place, I go there and capture it through my skills.

Mubarak Shah also apprised that people show interest in purchasing snake mostly for fun and he easily find buyers while roaming in different markets and streets of Peshawar.

"Apparently this snake looks venomous but specifically identification of its specie and breed could not be ascertained from examining the photo because it needs close observation of the snout and tail of the reptile," opined Dr. Farah Zaidi, Assistant Professor Zoology Department Peshawar University.

She also guessed that this snake has similarity of a rare speice found in deserts and it might be caught from any place in the merged districts.

The practice adopted by elderly Mubarak Shah of openly selling snake in city bazaars signifies heightened threats to wild species due to increasing trend of wildlife trade in the country.

The prominent e-bay sites on social media are full of advertisements for sale of different kinds of birds, animals and reptiles both local and exotic.

The business of cage birds is also growing in big cities without any check and shopkeepers openly keep beautiful birds in iron cages for sale without showing any fear of wildlife officials who are bound to take action against them.

According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) wildlife crime is the third largest transnational crime after drugs, human trafficking and generates around Dollar 20 billion annually.

Due to lack of any study in Pakistan the loss of wildlife due to its trade cannot be assessed but according to experts it is enormous.

A recent study conducted by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Pakistan after undercover survey of different markets in different cities, found that 55 wildlife species are on sale in markets of which 40 percent comprised of mammals, 39 percent birds, 19 percent reptiles, two percent belonged to invertebrates.

The study made an observation that illegal wildlife trade through websites extended to a large range of cities and provinces.

The study also made a startling disclosure that `consumption of dried meat of Indian Cobra and Indian Lizard is recorded to be widespread in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

"The practice of selling of snake or any other animal which comes in the category of wild is unlawful and prohibited under Wildlife Act of Khyber Pakthunkhwa ,"comments Muhammad Niaz, Conservator Wildlife Extension KP.

Recording his comments over the practice of open sale of snake in market, Muhammad Niaz admitted that wildlife trade is increasing in the country at alarming pace and needs strict action for curbing this practice.

"If the snake on sale is rare or comes under the category of protected species than this act is more cognizable and warrants strict punishment, but if it is a common specie, still it is in violation of rules set down in the law that prohibits trade of wildlife species," Niaz continued.

The Wildlife Department of KP is working over regulating cage business in the province and in this connection licenses would be issued to authorized dealers. The department is also regularly conducting raids and making seizures of different consignments of wild birds and animals being transported from province for wildlife trade.

Lack of resources and expertise is causing impediments in complete curbing of wildlife trade and the department concerned is making all out efforts to combat the menace, Niaz explains.