Asian Water Monitor Lizards Thought Nearly Extinct in China Caught on Camera for the First Time After a Decade

Asian water monitor lizards, thought to be nearly extinct in China, were spotted again for the first time after more than a decade.

Local sources over the weekend said that one of the endangered lizards was caught on video in South China, making the unprecedented event seemingly a historic comeback for one of the world's giant reptiles in modern times.

Although Asian water monitors are native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, their "re-discovery" in China is significant in the wildlife conservation field.

While not officially extinct in China, the Asian water monitor population in the country is still threatened by several factors, such as habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, which are mainly caused by human activities, including deforestation.

Nearly Extinct Lizard Found Again

(Photo : Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash)

The endangered, nearly extinct lizard was captured on footage by infrared cameras which reportedly recorded an unspecified number of Asian water monitor lizards in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in Hainan Province, China.

Local reporting has confirmed this is the first time that the species was seen over 10 years ago.

The giant lizard species is designated as "critically endangered" by the Chinese government under its China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals and it is also one of the species of priority protection.

Aside from its wide distribution in South and Southeast Asia, the local population of the lizards is distributed in the provinces of Hainan, Guangdong, and Yunnan.

They can also be found in China's autonomous region of Guangxi Zhuang and special administrative region of Hong Kong.

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Asian Water Monitor Lizard

The Asian water monitor species (Varanus salvator) is one of the most common monitor lizards in Asia.

They can be found across the continent, including northeast India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in South Asia. These wild animals also have a presence in mainland Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and South China, as mentioned earlier.

Despite the widespread distribution of water monitor lizards, they are one of the world's most heavily exploited reptiles, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Herpetological Conservation and Biology in 2020.

This threat is ongoing as humans hunt Asian water monitors for their hard, durable skin, which is used to make leather-based clothing items like bags, belts, and shoes.

Regardless of the rampant hunting of these reptiles, Asian water monitors are still listed as "least concern" on the IUCN Red List. This means that the species' population in Asia is not on the brink of extinction.

Outside Asia, the reptiles also made their way to other parts of the world, including the United States.

Asian water monitors are also bought as pets in some countries. However, experts warned that although the said lizards' venoms are not life-threatening, their bites can cause extreme pain.

In 2018, a family in South Florida surprisingly found an Asian water monitor lizard roaming in their backyard. Reports said the unwanted visitor belonged to one of the nearby residents in the neighborhood.