No motor home for Meerensee leguaan

In a bold bid for freedom, a startled leguaan (monitor lizard) gapped into the engine compartment of a nearby car at a residential complex in Meerensee on Saturday.

A resident who had seen the creature on the garden wall watched as it raced along the ground and sought refuge inside the vehicle.

Professional help was needed to extricate the unwanted passenger and it came in the form of well-known professional snake catcher and rescuer, Zephian Alberts, who had little trouble getting the job done, while mindful of possible injuries.

Likkewaans, as they are popularly known, defend themselves with sharp claws and long, strong tails that act as whips and can inflict pain.

Generally harmless to humans, choosing to flee rather than fight, they feed on small mammals, birds and eggs, as well as insects and other reptiles.

The leguaan was taken to a nearby safe environment by Meerensee Mews resident Henk Swanepoel, who released it into the wild, thankful that it had not been injured.

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