Smugglers may run desi Viagra to extinction

With the demand for yartsa gombu, popularly known as desi viagra for its aphrodisiac qualities, growing worldwide, its widespread smuggling has set the alarm bells ringing in Uttarakhand.

In the face of growing demand in the international markets, smugglers from Nepal, China and with the country are extracting yartsa gombu, scientifically known as cordyceps sinensis, at the Ascot wildlife sanctuary in Pithoragarh and other alpine areas of the state, according to officials.

The state government is trying every means to check the smuggling. It has banned extracting yartsa gombu. But experts say the steps adopted by the government have not been effective.

Yartsa gombu, a parasitic fungus, develops on the head of a moth larva (hepialus virescens). The larva hibernates during winter, which is infested by the fungus, and with the melting of snow the fruiting body emerges.

Smugglers put up tents at a height ranging between 6,000 and 10,000 feet for days on end at the Ascot sanctuary. Two smugglers were killed in July last year in gun fights in the Chhiplakot area of the Ascot wildlife sanctuary.

Yartsa gombu is sold in Hong Kong and mainland China at Rs 60,000-100,000 per kg, according to experts. During summer, yartsa gombu, which has a short life, attracts smugglers with local connections.

"Yartsa Gombu is a rare species that cures heart ailments, asthma and other diseases. Plus, there are its aphrodisiac qualities. It is a very intricate balance of nature in which a fungus grows on a caterpillar," said G S Rawat of the Wildlife Institute of India.

"If the smuggling continues for three years, this species will become extinct," Rawat said.