Chased by a dog in search of food, a giant monitor lizard climbed a utility pole and got stuck for hours.
Video: Newsflare
Many residents were horrified to see a giant monitor lizard, resembling a Godzilla-like creature, perched on a utility pole in Saraburi Province, central Thailand, on August 16.
The recorded footage shows the creature using its strong limbs and sharp claws to cling tightly to the concrete pole next to a tangle of wires. It remained there for several hours, prompting Suwit Yamubon, 51, to call rescue workers.
“At first, I spotted the monitor lizard in my garden. Fearing it might attack my home, I let my dog chase it away,” Yamubon recounted. “Then, it climbed the utility pole to escape. I didn’t want it to get electrocuted, so I called for rescue.”
The creature clinging to the utility pole.
When the rescue team arrived, the monitor lizard was still clinging to the pole. A man then used a specialized pole to pull it down to the ground. Surprisingly, it did not react violently when its mouth was covered. The monitor lizard was subsequently transported on a motorcycle and released in an area far from the residential zone.
According to Newsflare, the giant creature spotted in Saraburi belongs to the species Asian water monitor or common water monitor (Varanus salvator). They are quite common in Thailand and typically inhabit canals, swamps, drains, or ponds.
This large reptile can grow to over 3 meters in length when fully mature. They feed on fish, snakes, frogs, and leftover food discarded by humans. Generally, the common water monitor displays aggressive behavior when threatened, and their bites can carry mild venom, sometimes harboring harmful bacteria.
