Odisha Man Cooks Rare Lizard, Posts Online, Forest Officials Take Action

A YouTuber from Odisha's Mayurbhanj district has been arrested for allegedly cooking the meat of a protected and rare species of monitor lizard and posting the video on social media platforms.

The accused, identified as Rupa Nayak, a resident of Asanbani village, reportedly came across a dead monitor lizard on the roadside near the Banta area while returning from his wife's maternal home in Bhadrak. He took the carcass home, cooked its meat, and recorded a video of the entire process, which he later uploaded to Facebook and YouTube.

The video quickly went viral, prompting the Forest Department to take suo motu cognizance of the incident. A probe was launched, and Nayak was taken into custody. During interrogation, he admitted to the act.

Authorities have charged Nayak under multiple sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, including Sections 2(16)(a)(b), 9, 39(1)(b), 48(a)(b) and 50(1). The case has been registered under the Thakurmunda Forest Range, and the accused has been produced in court for further legal action.

(With inputs from Devv Kumar)