Gaya: Event Organiser Booked for Cruelty to Wildlife Following PETA India Complaint
Acting on a video depicting the abuse of an Indian Rock Python and a Monitor Lizard for entertainment, species protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, PETA India collaborated with the Gaya Forest Division of Bihar Forest Department to ensure that a preliminary offence report (POR) was registered.
Based on the video evidence, the POR was registered against the event organiser under Sections 2, 9, 15, 16, 35, and 36 of the WPA, 1972. The offence is non-bailable and punishable with a jail term of at least three years, which may extend to seven years, and a fine of at least ₹25,000.
The incident reportedly took place during a public event held at Mohari Mandal Bhawan, Gosai Bagh, Gol Bagicha, Gurudwara Road, Gaya – 823 001. The disturbing video of the event reveals a horrifying sequence in which the python is draped tightly around the body and neck of a performer. Simultaneously, the monitor lizard is seen suspended mid-air by the tail, which has been tied to a rope held by the performer, who violently swings the rope, causing the animal’s body to thrash helplessly. In a further appalling act, the performer forces the lizard into contact with his tongue while gripping the lizard’s lower body tightly in his fist. He continues performing fire-related stunts while the animals remain tethered to his body, further endangering their safety and well-being.
PETA India urges the Gaya Forest Division to take immediate and appropriate action to identify and apprehend the accused, and to locate and rescue the protected wildlife species subjected to this blatant and heinous cruelty.
We commend Shri Shashi Kumar, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Gaya Division, for registering the POR and sending a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated. The best way to revere wildlife is to leave them alone in their jungle homes. Using wildlife in roadside shows is cruel, illegal, and disrespectful.
Snakes are trapped and taken from their natural habitats to be used for entertainment and kept as “pets,” disregarding the WPA, 1972. Their teeth are often violently yanked out and their venom glands emptied for species who are venomous. In many cases, their mouths are sewn shut, leaving only a tiny gap into which liquid can be poured. Captured snakes do not live long, and their death is slow and painful.
Monitor lizards, despite legal protections, endure severe cruelty. They are hunted based on false beliefs of benefits if they are eaten.
