Thailand to make curved-toed geckos a protected species

Thailand to make curved-toed geckos a protected species

Conservation officials plan to protect curved-toed geckos. (Photo from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation)
Conservation officials plan to protect curved-toed geckos. (Photo from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation)

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will add tukkai -- curved-toed geckos – to its list of protected animals, saying the tiny, colourful creatures are threatened with extinction thanks to humans.

Tuanjai Nujdamrong, director of the department's Wildlife Conservation Office, voiced her concerns on Wednesday that the reptile has been widely hunted to sell in markets along Thailand's borders and at the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok where they are prized for their standout stripes and colours.

The law currently doesn't proect geckos from being hunted. Moreover, its habitats on limestone mountains have seriously impacted by mining, she said.

She said that the department intended to put tukkai on the protected list under the Act of Preserved Animals next year.

According to the law, people who trade in protected species are liable for fines of up to 40,000 baht and/or jail terms of up to four years.

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