Ferocious monitor lizard caught inside house in Thailand

Ferocious monitor lizard caught inside house in Thailand

A ferocious 4ft-long monitor lizard was caught after raiding a house and attacking a dog in northern Thailand.

The reptile was searching the house for food when the brave guard dog named Banana started barking at it in Phetchabun province on May 3.

The lizard tried to scare off the pooch but it continued barking until the house owner Phiphob Philuek, 41, found the two animals in the kitchen.

Phiphob was terrified as he thought the huge reptile was a crocodile so he took his dog out with him and called the emergency services.

The house owner said the lizard hid under the wardrobe when they fled but Banana returned inside to prevent the animal from escaping.

He said: ‘I heard Banana barking at something and I went to check it.

I was so shocked because I thought it was a crocodile.

‘It hid under the wardrobe so I realised it was a lizard.

I took Banana out with me but he returned inside to prevent it from escaping.

The lizard slapped Banana in the face with its tail.’ When the rescuers arrived, they tried to secure the reptile with a rope but the powerful animal had ripped it.

The volunteers tried another time with the help of the dog and they were able to corner it after half an hour.

The rescuers then tied its mouth with a tape before driving away with it to release the animal back into the wild later.

The relieved house owner said he was lucky to have his adopted dog Banana or it could have sneaked into other parts of the house and bit someone.

He said: ‘I was very lucky that I had Banana or else it might have sneaked into other parts of my house and bitten someone.

We have family in our house too and the lizard was big enough to hurt a child.’