With a Mysterious Status and Once Declared Extinct, Here's the Appearance of the Pinocchio Lizard Found by French Tourists in TNBBS

KABAR ALAM - Resembling the wooden puppet from children's fairy tales of the past, that's the appearance of the nose of this once-declared-extinct creature. Therefore, the conservation world refers to it as the Pinocchio lizard (Pinocchio anole).

In a post shared on the Instagram accounts of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), @kementerianlhk and @rhinocamp_tnbbs, the existence of the Pinocchio lizard (Pinocchio anole) still holds many mysteries.

"There is not much information about this unique species," wrote the narrative accompanying a collage of photos of the Pinocchio lizard (Pinocchio anole).

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It is mentioned that the first encounter with the long-nosed reptile in Rhino Camp Resort Sukaraja Atas, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (TNBBS), occurred in 2014.

At that time, the staff of Resort Sukaraja Atas, along with the team from the Indonesian Rhino Foundation (YABI), continued to search for the presence of the Pinocchio lizard in Rhino Camp. However, it is noted that the Pinocchio lizard is very well-camouflaged.

Fortunately, a second encounter took place on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, by French tourist Lois Rocher and three companions during a herping expedition with the Rhino Camp team in the early morning.

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With this encounter, it means that the Pinocchio lizard still has hope of being found and further studied at Resort Sukaraja Atas.

Previously, the Pinocchio lizard was declared extinct as it had not been found for several decades.***