Selling Animal Oils

I found this news in Times of India, about Maneka Gandhi stopping sale of animal oils extracted from Monitor Lizard. Most of the times these lesser known but equally important animals are ignored.

Sabyasachi
PTI 9 November 2009, 07:37pm IST

BADAUN: A roadside kiosk owner reportedly selling animal oil had to face the ire of BJP MP and animal rights activist Meneka Gandhi. Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to her parliamentary constituency here was moving in her convoy when she asked her driver to stop the vehicle on seeing a roadside kiosk selling animal oils.

She came out of the vehicle and questioned Sindhari, a native of Haridwar who extracts oil of "monitor lizard" and later handed him over to the police.

Six live monitor lizard were recovered from him. Talking to newspersons later, Gandhi said that the Monitor lizard popularly known as 'Vishkhapda' belongs to the snake family and is an endangered species.

She said that she had constituted a team of 300 activists in her parliamentary constituency to check cruelty against animals.

Gandhi has been raising her voice on this matter and during her two earlier visits here about three months ago, she had got freed cows being taken in a truck.

When contacted SSP Tarun Gaba said that they are interrogating Sindhari alias Shikari and case has been registered against him under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act.