Mystical monsters draw black market interest
By Katie McDevitt, Tribune
March 31, 2006
They are poisonous, powerful creatures shrouded in myth and legend. Rumors have swirled of their danger, putrid breath and iron-grip bite. Some said they could leap high in the air, while others believed they had magical powers.
Gila monsters captured the intrigue of the earliest desert explorers and continue to do so today.
But their beauty and strength also have made them victims of profit-seeking animal traffickers and reptile fanatics in search of a pet.
Federal officials recently indicted nine people — including a man from Gilbert — on charges of transporting and selling Gila monsters, snakes and other desert wildlife. As the only venomous lizard in America, Gila monsters can be sold for more than $1,500 on the international black market.
“We’ve been trying to unravel the mysteries of Gila monsters for decades and decades,” said Arizona Game and Fish Department biologist Randy Dabb. “They are such a unique animal that just has this incredible appeal.”
In the Tucson area alone, about 20 to 40 Gila monsters and hundreds of snakes are taken each year by people from more than 30 different countries, said John Romero, Tucson law enforcement program manager with Game and Fish.
It is illegal to possess Gila monsters in any capacity in Arizona, except with a special license given only to research facilities and certain scientists.
“Anytime you place a profit on animals, they are going to be taken illegally,” Romero said.
Romero spent three years working undercover in the desert pretending to collect Gila monsters so he could catch the thieves.
He said people who steal the animals range from an “average Joe out collecting snakes to make a couple bucks to millionaires looking to make money on a large scale.”
But the experts are good, Romero said. They do their homework and learn their history. They know when Gila monsters will emerge from underground and when to try to catch them.
To combat the problem, decoy Gila monsters are hidden in the desert, Dabb said. Anyone caught taking a real or fake Gila monster faces a Class 2 misdemeanor, which carries a maximum $750 fine and up to four years in jail.
Those who violate a federal law that prohibits the transportation and sale of wildlife in interstate commerce could receive maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This recent bust on illegal trafficking of protected reptiles took more than a year to complete, said Doug McKenna, who oversees the law enforcement division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Arizona.
“In some cases like this one, they are highly complex,” McKenna said. “We regularly look into (the problem) and rely on a lot of the community information people give us.”
McKenna would not reveal how authorities track down black marketers throughout the country. The most recent case involved individuals from six different states.
“It seems like when it comes to the live reptile trade in the Southwest, we kind of go through cycles,” McKenna said. “Certain animals are in higher demands at certain times. We watch trends and respond.”
Experts said Gila monsters are always high on the demand list because they are unique and valuable. Other popular creatures include various species of rattlesnakes. When authorities seize them, they are given to researchers or zoos.
“People just want to have them,” Dabb said. “They are such special animals that do miraculous things.”
Gila monster facts
• The Gila monster is one of the only two venomous lizards in the world. The other is the Mexican beaded lizard.
• Six to 12 people are bitten every year by Gila monsters, and it’s usually because people are handling them.
• Gila monster nests had never been seen until a few years ago.
• A synthetic protein found in the body of Gila monsters is being developed as a treatment for diabetes.
• Most of a Gila monster’s life is spent below ground. Sources: Arizona Game and Fish Department and Mark Seward, breeder
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=62228
Linear Mode
