Tokay Gecko trade boom in South-East Asia

TRAFFIC 16 Nov 11;

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 16th November 2011—Unfounded claims of a potential cure for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one factor behind a boom in the trade of Tokay Geckos, according to a new report launched today by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.

The Tokay Gecko Gekko gecko is a nocturnal Asian lizard growing up to 40 cm in length and easily identified by its orange-spotted, blue-grey skin and unmistakable vocalizations.

The animals are popular in the global pet trade and have long been traded—both legally and illegally—for use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the belief they can cure various maladies including diabetes, asthma, skin disease and cancer. In parts of Asia, Tokay wine or whisky is consumed to increase strength and energy.

Between 1998 and 2002, more than eight and a half tonnes of dried Tokay Geckos were legally imported into the USA for use in traditional medicine. Huge numbers are traded within Asia, from countries such as Indonesia and Thailand, to meet demand, especially in China.

Recently, however, the medicinal demand for Tokay Geckos has skyrocketed, with dozens of new websites in Malaysia, a major hub of the trade, dedicated to buying and selling Tokay Geckos.

Messages have been circulating in online blogs, forums, newspaper articles, classified advertisements and amongst wildlife dealers in the region, extolling the consumption of Tokay Gecko tongue and internal organs as a cure for HIV and even cancer.

The geckos are being sourced across South-East Asia, especially the Philippines, where authorities have launched a crackdown on Tokay Gecko buyers amid growing reports of illegal trade in the animals.

One couple was recently arrested attempting to smuggle Tokay Geckos worth close to a million dollars from Thailand to Malaysia.

Indonesia exports an estimated 1.2 million dried Tokay Geckos from Java each year—the official export quota is 45,000 live animals, intended for the pet trade.

Two weeks ago, Customs officers in Central Java foiled an attempt to smuggle 6.7 tonnes of dried Tokay Geckos bound for Hong Kong and China using expired permits.

Unsurprisingly there are anecdotal reports of major Tokay Gecko population declines in Java and this picture is likely to be mirrored elsewhere.

However, the Tokay Gecko remains poorly protected by national legislation throughout most of its range and is not listed for protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

“TRAFFIC is alarmed at the massive increase in trade of these geckos,” said Chris R. Shepherd, Deputy Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

“If the trade continues to mushroom, it could take years to repair the damage currently being inflicted on gecko populations.”

“Protection under CITES should urgently be considered as a stitch in time for the Tokay Gecko.”

According to the new report, published in the latest TRAFFIC Bulletin, underlying the current Tokay Gecko trade are “Incredible claims of miracle cures and vast monetary gains [that] may be indicative of an elaborate hoax. Perpetrated by whom, to what extent and in what capacity remains a mystery. What is clear, however, is that the demand for Tokay Geckos is leading to the rapacious collection of this species throughout South-East Asia.”

Also in the TRAFFIC Bulletin (PDF, 3.5 MB)—which this issue focuses on South-East Asia—are articles on the region’s tortoises and turtles, carnivores, pangolins, the indigenous people of Belum-Temengor, and trade in birds-of-paradise.

Activists urge protection of hunted gecko species
AFP Yahoo News 17 Nov 11;

Wildlife activists on Wednesday called for the orange-spotted Tokay Gecko to be protected under international laws following a spike in smuggling of the lizard, mainly for medicine in China.

International wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said in a statement that the trade, both legal and illegal, in the gecko known for its blue-grey skin and loud croak was on the rise across Southeast Asia.

It called for the nocturnal animal to be protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as a "stitch in time" for the Asian gecko.

"TRAFFIC is alarmed at the massive increase in trade of these geckos," said Chris Shepherd, deputy director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

"If the trade continues to mushroom, it could take years to repair the damage currently being inflicted on gecko populations," he added.

The animals are captured across Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines as well as Indonesia, according to a new report launched by TRAFFIC, which points out their "rapacious collection."

They are usually killed and dried, and shipped to China for use in traditional medicine billed to cure various diseases, including HIV and cancer. Tokay wine or whiskey is also sold as an energy booster.

"Recently... the medicinal demand for Tokay Geckos has skyrocketed, with dozens of new websites in Malaysia, a major hub of the trade, dedicated to buying and selling Tokay Geckos," the statement said.

TRAFFIC said it would investigate this trade. The TRAFFIC report also said claims of the gecko's potential as a cure "may be indicative of an elaborate hoax."

The Tokay Geckos, which can grow up to 40 centimetres (15.7 inches), are also popular pets.

Malaysia has pledged to fight wildlife smuggling, which activists say is rampant in the Southeast Asian nation due to regional demand for exotic dishes, pets, or traditional medicines derived from animals.

WHO: Geckos not cures for HIV/AIDS or cancer
Lim Wey Wen The Star 21 Nov 11;

PUTRAJAYA: Geckos are not cures for HIV, AIDS or cancer.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) posted a message on its Facebook page to remind people that reports stating otherwise were not true.

WHO’s posting coincided with wildlife trade watchdog TRAFFIC’s call for the protection of the to’keh (or tokay) gecko, following a sharp increase in illegal smuggling of the lizard in Southeast Asia.

“We’d like to remind you that the gecko is not a cure for HIV/AIDS, or cancer.

“The rumour that says otherwise is a hoax,” the WHO message stated.

“There is no scientific evidence that gecko can cure HIV/AIDS or cancer.

“Nor is there information on the safety and hygiene consequences from exposure to geckos,” the health organisation said.

Malaysian Society for HIV Medicine immediate past president Dr Christopher Lee said: “We strongly advise people who are infected with HIV to continue with the anti-retroviral treatment provided free in government hospitals.

“This is because the anti-retroviral treatment is the only treatment that is proven to work so far in the four decades of the HIV epidemic,” he added.

TRAFFIC was quoted in The Star yesterday as saying that the demand for tokay geckos had skyrocketed recently due to unfounded claims on Asian websites and blogs that consuming the reptile’s tongue and internal organs could cure HIV and cancer.