The trade of tokay geckos Gekko gecko in retail pharmaceutical outlets in Hong Kong

Abstract

Tokay geckos are one of the most heavily traded species internationally, largely to supply demand for use in traditional Chinese medicine. Tokay geckos are largely sourced from the wild. While there is a legal trade, illegal collection from the wild as well as laundering through fraudulent captive-breeding operations is common. Very little is known of the status of this species in the wild, though it is understood to be in decline in some parts of its range. Hong Kong is an important destination for tokay geckos in trade, and here, we assessed the availability, reported origin, and monetary value of tokay geckos in Hong Kong’s retail market. We surveyed 150 shops and found 220 tokay gecko pairs in 37% of all shops. We estimate that on average 15,000 tokay geckos are offered for sale in Hong Kong on any given day. The mean price of a tokay gecko pair is USD12, and the total retail value of the tokay geckos observed approaches USD180,000. Tokay geckos for sale in Hong Kong are said to be sourced from mainland China, Vietnam, and Thailand, and not from Indonesia despite Indonesia being the world’s largest exporter of tokay geckos. However, recent seizures in Hong Kong were from Indonesia. Despite shop staff stating tokay geckos were from Vietnam, there are no such reports in the CITES Trade Database. Tokay geckos are clearly being obtained from a combination of legal and illegal sources, and therefore increased vigilance and further investigation is called for to prevent illegal trade.