Four-foot long monitor lizard rescued

A nearly four-foot long monitor lizard was rescued from the National Technical Research Organisation campus in Delhi, a wildlife conservation NGO said here today.

The reptile is currently undergoing treatment for the eye injury, said Wasim Akram, Manager of Wildlife SOS Special Projects.

Yesterday, at around 11 pm, a resident alerted the NGO about a distress lizard outside the NTRO staff quarters. She told them the reptile was not able to open its eyes and required help.

The NGO said it immediately rushed two trained rescuers to the spot.

Monitor lizards are mostly non-offensive but can bite or even use their strong claws in retaliation if threatened or provoked. So, the team had to be cautious while carrying out the rescue operation as they wanted to avoid startling it, said an NGO official.

As a result of continuous deforestation and expansion of human habitation these largely misunderstood reptiles are often forced to wander out of their natural habitats in search of food and shelter.

They play an important role in the ecosystem but they are often killed for their meat and body parts due to misconstrued beliefs, said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder & CEO of Wildlife SOS.