The collaborative efforts of the Maharashtra Forest Department and Mumbai-based NGO RAWW have brought new hope for the conservation of Indian monitor lizards. A few months ago, during a drainage line clean-up near a forest patch in Mulund, civic workers discovered 10 eggs. The forest department handed these over to RAWW for incubation under controlled conditions.

The hatchlings in the controlled environment

After 114 days of careful monitoring, five Indian monitor lizards successfully hatched and were released back into their natural habitat. The remaining five eggs were found to be infertile and were disposed of as per protocol. Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of Thane and president of RAWW, told mid-day, “Since we live in urban landscapes that often overlap with wildlife habitats, such incidents occur occasionally.”