The video quickly went viral, prompting the Forest Department to take suo motu cognizance of the incident.
A YouTuber from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district has been arrested for allegedly cooking the meat of a protected and rare species of monitor lizard and posting the video on social media platforms.
The accused, identified as Rupa Nayak, a resident of Asanbani village, reportedly came across a dead monitor lizard on the roadside near the Banta area while returning from his wife’s maternal home in Bhadrak. He took the carcass home, cooked its meat, and recorded a video of the entire process, which he later uploaded to Facebook and YouTube.
The video quickly went viral, prompting the Forest Department to take suo motu cognizance of the incident. A probe was launched, and Nayak was taken into custody. During interrogation, he admitted to the act.