The Queen and Cameron’s Wife in Rare Lizard Skins Debacle

I can imagine The Queen is trying to keep a low profile these days when it comes to the animal skins industry, so the news today of her stationer dealing in rare lizard skins is probably causing her to have a bit of a hot flush.

Smythson, the company behind the debacle, has David Cameron’s wife as the creative director, and gifts bound in the exotic skins sell for anything between £250 and £1,200. Is this the price of a near-endangered species’ life? Government agency, Animal Health, has revealed that three main species of lizard have been imported into the UK by businesses: the Nile monitor, common tegu and the water monitor – all classified as needing to have their trade controlled.

Biologist Clifford Warwick tells The Independent’s Martin Hickman what he has seen in the industry: “The hunters will then cut their heads off and skin them. In most cases they are alive when they are skinned.” Apparently, because they have such a slow metabolism, they could be alive for up to an hour after decapitation. All for a business-card case.

Exotic skins are never acceptable, no matter who you are or how much money you have. Celebrities like Lisa B (below) and fashion stores like Topshop, know this, and wouldn’t you rather follow in their footsteps than someone who keeps the bearskin trade in business? Make sure you contact Smythson and give them a (polite) piece of your mind, and urge them to stop selling rare lizard skin products.