Cabañas (AFP) - Conservation projects in eastern Guatemala are trying to save a venomous lizard on the brink of extinction, which has been dubbed "Niño dormino" (sleeping little one) because of its slow movement and heavy aura.

Juan Alvarado, a forest ranger with the National Council of Protected Areas, deftly holds the lizard to avoid any sting, as its venom is extremely painful, though rarely fatal.

The time was ripe for the release of the lizard, which belonged to the species Heloderma charlesbogerte, which was found in a nearby village in the Cabañas region and was then given shelter by officials in a local regional park, also called Niño Dormino.

The lizard, characterized by its dark skin dotted with white dots and light yellow rings, was placed on the ground and slowly moved through the nature of this region that includes semi-arid forests in the Motagua River Valley and located in the middle of the Sierra de las Minas Nature Reserve.

And Juan Alvarado (68 years old) notes that this type of animal has always been a victim of the fear that residents feel towards it because of its poison and the spread of fictional stories that made it a bad omen.

Alvarado dedicated his life 17 years ago to protecting species that are classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"Any Helioderma Charlesbogerty lizard spotted is doomed to death," he says.

These lizards, which range between 20 and 40 centimeters in length and feed mainly on eggs and young birds, have been smuggled into European countries that treat them as pets.

The forest guard points out that "Europeans used to pay up to two thousand dollars for this animal."

Juan Alvarado explains that the lizards' venom and the bacteria present in their saliva are currently undergoing scientific studies with the aim of discovering potential drug properties against diabetes and cancer.

Twenty years ago, the species numbered around 200, but today authorities put their estimated numbers at 600 large lizards living in the wild, most of which are tracked using microchips.

The residents are now bringing lizards that are found in inhabited areas to the reserve, as a result of an environmental education program based on the idea that families receive food aid in exchange for bringing animals to the reserve.

Even today, lizards "Hiloderma Charlesbogerty" suffer from the problem of habitat destruction due to the expansion of agricultural areas and the outbreak of forest fires, in addition to the effects of climate change.

Francisco Mayorga, 43, a consultant working for the National Council of Protected Areas, says that "high temperatures in this region would lead to an imbalance in the numbers of species," noting that sometimes dead lizards are found as a result of high temperatures during dry seasons.