"You Were the Protagonist of the Crocodile Commotion"... 1m Long King Monitor Lizard Captured

Savanna Monitor Lizard
Fire Department, "Report Exotic Species Immediately Upon Discovery"

A 1-meter-long savannah monitor lizard was captured in Yeongju, Gyeongbuk Province, where an investigation was underway following reports of an alligator sighting.

On the 27th, a large lizard was captured in Hucheon-dong, Yeongju-si, following a resident's report.
[Photo by Yeongju Fire Station]

According to Yeongju Fire Station on the 27th, at around 3:30 PM, they received a report of a lizard at a feed factory in Hyucheon-dong, Yeongju City. The fire station dispatched personnel who, along with factory staff, used capture equipment to catch the lizard. They later confirmed the capture of a large 1-meter-long lizard (savannah monitor lizard).

The lizard is currently being held in Yeongju City. The city plans to transfer the lizard to the Gyeongbuk Wildlife Rescue and Management Center.

Some speculate that the lizard may have been mistaken for an alligator, as its body length is similar to the alligator reported last month.

Although the report location and the capture site are about 20 km apart in a straight line, the nearby Wondangcheon stream at the capture site connects to Seocheon and then to Museomgyo, the report location, suggesting it could be the same individual.

The captured lizard is a species native to tropical rainforests and does not naturally live in Korea. This raises the possibility that someone either abandoned it or it escaped while being kept as a pet.

In fact, this species is popular as a pet in countries like the United States. It is known that unless the lizard is under extreme stress, it does not pose a significant danger.

On the 27th, a large lizard was captured in Hucheon-dong, Yeongju-si, following a resident's report.
[Photo by Yeongju Fire Station]

A fire station official advised, "If you encounter exotic animals or reptiles, do not approach them recklessly. Avoid provocative actions such as throwing objects or kicking, as these may trigger attacks. Please report immediately to 119 upon discovery."

Previously, a net-patterned python native to tropical rainforest regions was captured in an import-export container at a factory in Yeongju City.

It is believed that the snake secretly entered the container from the tropical rainforest region and was brought into the country.

The captured snake was about 1.5 meters long and weighed approximately 400 grams as a juvenile, but when fully grown, it can reach lengths of about 5 to 7.5 meters and weigh up to 160 kg, making it known as the largest snake in the world.

Additionally, last month, footprints thought to be from a leopard were investigated in a field in Yeongju City, but they were confirmed to be from a feral dog.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.