Overharvesting Threatens 'Himalayan Viagra' Fungus As Demand Surges, Now 'Vulnerable'

The Ophiocordyceps sinensis fungus is one of the most expensive and sought-after biological resources, but it¡¯s better known around the world as yartsa gunbu, yarsagumba, or Himalayan Viagra.

According to an AFP report, Chinese herbalists believe it boosts sexual performance, hence the nickname 'Himalayan Viagra'. Ophiocordyceps sinensis is also known as the Caterpillar Fungus, or Yarchagumba, which means "summer plant, winter insect" in Tibetan.

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Boiled in water to make tea, or added to soups and stews, it is said to cure a variety of ailments from fatigue to cancer.

Some also refer to it as the caterpillar fungus because it grows out of the head of ghost moth larvae. The parasitic fungus resembles a brown stick or root that develops above ground out of the corpse of the larvae.

The fungus is found in the Tibetan Plateau and in regions like Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, Bhutan, India, and Nepal, as well as across the southern flank of the Himalayas.

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Researchers say the purported wonder drug can fetch up to three times the price of gold in Beijing.

Overharvesting has slashed populations by at least 30 per cent in the last 15 years, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

It is now listed it as "vulnerable" to extinction in the directory of threatened animal and plant species.

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"This is one of the few documented cases of a fungus being threatened by overharvesting," said Gregory Mueller, who heads up IUCN's Fungal Conservation Committee.

Many Himalayan communities are financially dependent on collecting and selling the fungus, with some earning most of their yearly income from a few weeks of harvesting that usually begins in early to mid-April.

This year, Kathmandu banned the annual trek to harvest the fungus during its lockdown due to the pandemic.

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All Inputs AFP