The monitor lizard after it was rescued
Noida, October 25, 2012: A 2.5 feet long monitor lizard was rescued from a drainage tank at a metro station compound by IFAW-WTI (International Fund for Animal Welfare – Wildlife Trust of India) veterinarians, responding to a distress call from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) yesterday.
The animal had fallen into the tank at the Botanical Garden Metro Station two days ago, according to the DMRC officials.
Upon reaching the spot, the rescue team could just about make out the lizard in the dark drainage pit. They quickly proceeded to lower a hollow rod, with a bag attached to the end of it. After a little bit of prodding, the monitor lizard easily clambered into the rod and then into the bag. It was released nearby, in an area with sufficient cover.
Dr Prashant Deshmukh removes the monitor lizard from the tank
Monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) sightings are fairly common in the national capital region of India. They inhabit scrubs, parks, jungles and vacant plots in the midst of human habitation here. They are protected under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, making it illegal to hunt, trade or buy this magnificent creature. Their diet includes small mammals, birds, bird’s eggs, and small reptiles like skinks, small turtles and snakes, fish, crabs, and prawns.
They take shelter in crevices, hollows of trees or burrows in the ground, sometimes taking refuge in abandoned termite grounds. They can grow up to three feet and is diurnal, though more active in morning and evenings. They are extremely shy, and tend to escape to avoid contact with humans.
“Monitor lizards are non-venomous and generally harmless,” says Dr NVK Ashraf, Chief Veterinarian and Chief Operating Officer, WTI. “If you see one in your garden or house premises, there is no need to panic. They’ve probably been living there for long and the sighting is only accidental.”
