Authorities in India are investigating video footage of four men taking turns raping a monitor lizard which they later killed, cooked, and ate.
The sickening incident took place at the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, while the footage was captured by anti-poaching cameras set up to monitor and protect tigers that live in the area. The monitor lizard is an endangered species and the only monitor lizard currently living in the park.
Division forest officer Vishal Mali of the forest rangers told VICE news:
"I have never seen a crime like this before. The men are in their 20s and 30s, and they appear to have done it for fun. There was no religious or black magic agenda."
Four men have since been detained as they were identified by locals from the video footage. They are Sandeep Pawar, Mangesh Kamtekar, Akshay Kamtekar and Ramesh Ghag. The four have now appeared in court and been charged with violating India's laws against animal cruelty and harming endangered species.
The men also face the possibility of being charged with a law that criminalises the sexual relations between animals and humans.
If found guilty, the men face up to 7 years in prison.
Vishal Mali added:
"Not only is this cruel, but there is a risk of zoonotic diseases from this kind of case. There are concerns of men carrying STDs and other infections from their act."
In the last 10 years, 82 cases have been brought before Indian courts in relation to sex between humans and animals. Recent cases involve a man raping a goat in southern India and a man raping a stray dog in 2021. Almost half-a-million crimes against animals were recorded in the country last year.
Monitor lizard numbers in India have been declining rapidly due to hunting and destruction of their natural habitat due to incursion by human settlements. The skins of the lizards are also used to make handbags and other clothing.
[Based on reporting by: Vice]
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