Urbanization threatens
Coexistence
NHK World, Asia, - 2/23/17 by
Thanyadol Khamkhoksung
People in Thailand have always
lived alongside wildlife, and one species of lizard in particular has had a
close relationship with its human neighbors. But urban development is now
threatening this coexistence.
Located in a marshy district in
the suburbs of Bangkok is a small village of around 1,000 people. The village
also has a nickname that refers to a water monitor, a lizard that can grow as
long as 3 meters.
Water monitors live in the
marshlands of Southeast Asia. They have a gentle nature and are protected under
the Washington Convention.
Traditionally, villagers in the
area live in harmony with the lizards. The villagers say that if the lizards
get enough leftovers, they won't attack livestock or steal other animals' eggs.
"We give them things that
are useless to us, so we get rid of our waste and benefit the lizards at the
same time," says Surang Ohnyim, a local resident.
These days, you can even see the
creatures in central Bangkok.
Rapid urbanization has destroyed
much of the lizards' habitat, and they've even started going into restaurants.
The lizards are popping up all over the city, in search of a suitable place to
live.
Local authorities have launched
measures to scale back the lizard population. A special capture team is joined
by wildlife protection experts. They use fish, the animal's favorite food, to
attract them and catch them, releasing them in a wildlife sanctuary far from
urban areas.
Since Bangkok started the
project, the number of lizards has gone down from over 400 to around 230.
"It's important for us to
prevent accidents. We're doing our best not to destroy the balance of the
ecosystem. We're also trying not to catch too many lizards," says Suwanna
Jungrungrueng, director of the environment department at the Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration.
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