Tue Aug 26 00:00:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the article, followed by a news article rewrite:

**Summary:**

The article highlights the vulnerability of India’s rich fossil heritage due to the lack of legal protection and a national repository. The recent discovery of the giant ancient snake *Vasuki indicus* underscores the urgency of the situation. While countries like the U.S. struggle with fossils ending up in private collections and auction houses, India lacks even basic safeguards. The absence of laws and infrastructure makes Indian fossils susceptible to theft, vandalism, and potentially ending up in the international market, mirroring the past loss of cultural treasures. The article showcases individual efforts to protect fossils, but emphasizes the need for government action to prevent the irreversible loss of a crucial part of Earth’s history.

**News Article:**

**India’s Prehistoric Treasures at Risk: Fossil Heritage Faces Auction Block Threat**

**Chennai, August 26, 2025:** A recent discovery of a 47-million-year-old, 15-meter-long snake, *Vasuki indicus*, in Gujarat has ignited concerns over the protection of India’s rich fossil heritage. Paleontologists warn that without immediate action, these invaluable relics of the past could be lost to theft, vandalism, and the booming international fossil trade.

The absence of a national repository and comprehensive laws governing fossil ownership leaves India’s prehistoric treasures vulnerable. Dr. Sunil Bajpai, a leading paleontologist at IIT-Roorkee, expressed his fears regarding the preservation of fossils after his retirement. “I worry about what will happen to these fossils after I retire…Will they be preserved or fall victim to theft or vandalism?” he said.

The problem extends beyond India’s borders. Globally, fossils are increasingly seen as commodities, with rare specimens fetching exorbitant prices at auction. Last year, a *Stegosaurus* skeleton sold for $44.6 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York, fueling concerns that scientifically significant specimens are being diverted from research into private collections.

The article draws a parallel to India’s past experiences, where cultural treasures have been lost to private hands and international markets. In 2025, the Indian government blocked an auction of Buddhist relics that had been in a British family for generations.

Experts are calling on the government to establish a national fossil repository and enact laws to protect these irreplaceable resources. Paleontologist Thomas Carr emphasized the global significance of Indian fossils: “The paleontological record of India, especially the Mesozoic age, is incredibly important to our understanding of the evolution of dinosaurs and other organisms. We can’t afford to lose it.”

While passionate individuals like schoolteacher Vishal Verma are working to rescue fossils at a local level, a national framework is urgently needed to safeguard India’s prehistoric past. The fate of *Vasuki indicus*, currently stored in a box at IIT-Roorkee, hangs in the balance, symbolizing the precarious future of India’s fossil heritage.

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