Agra, Nov 26 A trapped mountain lizard behind the bedroom window in Agra's Kalindi colony had the family members in shock and fear, till it was safely rescued by a team of the Wild Life SOS.
A family member said that the large lizard got stuck in the narrow gap between the window grille and glass pane while trying to enter the bedroom on Wednesday evening.
Rescues involving monitor lizards are often sensitive, so the Wildlife SOS rescuers had to carefully ease out the reptile, making sure that it did not get hurt in the process. After being kept under observation for a few hours, the monitor lizard was released back into its natural habitat.
Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder & CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, "It is reassuring to see people gaining a more sensitized approach towards the reptile population of the city. Monitor lizards are non-venomous, but can bite or even use their strong claws in retaliation, if threatened or provoked so it was very important to ensure the safety of both the animal and the onlookers."
Baiju Raj M.V, Director Conservation Projects for Wildlife SOS, said, "Monitor lizards are believed to be venomous and aggressive but in reality, they are very shy and prefer to stay away from humans. However, it is most advisable to not approach a monitor lizard as they might react to being cornered or when provoked."
Common Indian Monitor Lizard (Varanus bengalensis) or Bengal monitor Lizard is found in the Indian subcontinent. They inhabit scrubs, parks, jungles and mainly feed on small mammals, birds, rodents, insects, etc. This species is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Monitor lizards play an important role in the ecosystem, but they are often killed for their meat and body parts due to misconstrued beliefs.
( With inputs from IANS )
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