The lizards, of the genus Tiliqua, were discovered by customs officers who were inspecting a shipment declared to contain "dehumidifier, air purifier, milk powder.”
Customs officers at Hong Kong International Airport seized 42 endangered live lizards at the airport, that customs officials said have a market value of HKD$210,000. The lizards, of the genus Tiliqua, were discovered by customs officers who were inspecting a shipment declared to contain “dehumidifier, air purifier, milk powder.” The lizards were stuffed in milk powder cans, dehumidifiers and air purifiers and were imported from Australia, where it is illegal to send any flora and fauna into or out of the country.
Hong Kong Customs on March 4 seized 42 suspected scheduled endangered live lizards with an estimated market value of about $210,000 at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo shows some of the suspected scheduled endangered live lizards seized. Photo via Hong Kong Airport customs
The case was handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for follow-up action.
“Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586), any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited,” Hong Kong Customs said in the statement announcing the seizure.
Any suspected smuggling activities can be reported to the Customs hotline at
182 8080 or via the dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Hong Kong is one of the largest hubs for the illegal wildlife trade and then policing of these crimes is virtually nonexistent due to what some say is a lack of resources. The strategic location of Hong Kong, the free trade policy and gateway to China makes Hong Kong a lucrative place for illegal traders.
Blue-Tongued Skink Information
Blue-tongued skinks are very popular with reptile keepers and are widely captive bred in the United States. While they are called blue tongue lizards in Australia, in the United States we call them blue-tongued skinks. Their tongue is blue to ward off predators, according to a 2018 study from Macquarie University in Australia. The blue tongue is the last form of defense when it is attacked.
