Bacolod City — The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office is looking into reports that foreigners have been buying geckos, locally known as tuko, in Negros Occidental and paying huge sums for the arboreal lizard.
Penro-Negros Occidental head Valentin Talavero on Monday said he has received reports that there were persons buying geckos weighing at least 500 grams for P100,000 and more, but has no details on who they were.
“We are trying to see if catching these geckos for sale is in violation of the Wildlife Act,” Talavero said.
Errol Abada Gatumbato, vice president and managing director of the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc., said on Monday there seemed to be an ongoing widespread collection of geckos, not only in Negros Occidental but nationwide, for sale.
Gatumbato said there were reports that the geckos were being used for gaming while there were also speculations that they were used for medicinal purposes.
“However, this is quite alarming because there are geckos with conservation values,” he added.
There have been reports of clandestine gecko buying all over the Philippines but the buyers have not been pinpointed, Gatumbato said.
“There is a need for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau to look into this because this might be another form of massive commercial wildlife trade and may endanger some endemic gecko species of the Philippines,” he warned.
Under the Wildlife Act of the Philippines, any collection of wildlife species would require permits from the PAWB, Gatumbato said.
He added that there was a ban on the collection of the threatened wildlife species.
Talavero said he was informed that Chinese nationals were buying the geckos to be used for the production of medicine for AIDS.
Other reports stated that Koreans were also buying the geckos.
According to Healthfiles.net (https://healthfiles.net/benefits-of-geckos-meat/), gecko meat consumed as food or in powder is believed to cure various diseases like skin diseases and asthma as well as increase stamina of men. However, there is no known pharmacological research that demonstrates the efficacy of treatment using geckos.
Several Negrenses, who requested anonymity, said they were catching geckos for sale to foreign buyers.
One such gecko buyer and catcher in southern Negros Occidental said he was fattening these up to fetch higher prices.
Details on the types of geckos being bought and how to sell them are posted on https://www.tuko.com.ph.
The website has listed the characteristics of a “perfect tuko” for buying and selling. The gecko should have either red, orange or white spots on its skin and feet with five toes and shaped like a flat flower.
The gecko should also have a weight of 400 grams and above, body length of 21 inches and above, healthy with complete body parts and fed with food natural in their environment. The geckos must be active and fierce when you try to hold them, the website added.
Geckos are also being sold at sulit.com.ph at https://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/classifieds+directory/q/geckos. /INQUIRER