Monitor lizard wanders into 11th floor Punggol flat, captured by NParks
The family chased the reptile with brooms to the balcony, where they trapped it by locking the sliding doors.
This monitor lizard, measuring about 1.5m long, lounges on the balcony of a Punggol resident's flat after wandering into his 11-storey home. (Photo: Jeffrey Toh)
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SINGAPORE: A Punggol resident was left shocked when a monitor lizard wandered into his 11th-storey home on Thursday evening (Jun 27).
Resident Jeffrey Toh’s family chased the reptile with brooms to the balcony, where they trapped it by locking the sliding doors.
Mr Toh was in the office when he received a frantic call from his domestic helper at around 5pm.
By remotely accessing his living room’s closed-circuit television (CCTV), he saw the lizard climb through the locked gates of his Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat.
It roamed leisurely around the living room, lumbering under the TV console and the sofa.
As Mr Toh rushed home from work, he called his father - who lives in another unit in the same block - to help. A neighbour also came to the family’s aid.
The trapped monitor lizard then thoroughly explored the balcony, knocking over plants and lounging on the ledge.
Mr Toh called the police, who directed him to the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES).
However, the animal protection charity’s response team was out on call and would not be available for another few hours.
He contacted the National Parks Board (NParks), and a two-man team arrived two hours later.
Daily Cuts: What to do if a monitor lizard enters your home
They used tongs and blankets to capture the lizard, before placing it in a cage.
“(The experience was) very, very interesting. I have no idea how it climbed up. Coming up 11 floors is quite ridiculous. Luckily, we trapped it on the balcony,” Mr Toh said.
“Our block has kids running around, so this is not very safe,” he added.
The reptile was so big that he could see it sprawled on his balcony ledge from the opposite block when he picked up his daughter from childcare while waiting for NParks’ officers to arrive.
Gauging from the height of the balcony, the monitor lizard looks to be about 1.5m long.
Mr Toh’s father had been “quite excited” to see the lizard but their domestic helper, who was preparing dinner when the incident happened, had jumped onto the dining table in fright.
Mr Toh captured the house invasion on video and posted the incident on the Waterway Terraces II residents’ Facebook group.
One commenter called the reptile “Godzilla’s grandson”, while another said it looked like it was “admiring the scenery”.
There were mixed reactions on whether the monitor lizard was “cute” or “scary”.
Another resident commented: “(Thankfully, there were) the invisible grilles, (I) can't imagine if the lizard were to fall off the balcony.”
Most wondered how it could have climbed 11 storeys.
Mr Toh said there is a possibility that the reptile is a neighbour’s pet.
“It was very clean, didn’t bring any mud. Its markings were very nice, not like the ones you see outside. Those downstairs are usually dirty and have scars,” he remarked.
It is illegal under Singapore’s Wildlife Act to remove wild animals, including monitor lizards, from the wild.
It is not uncommon to see wild animals in Punggol, with its waterway and forested areas. Monkeys, wild boars, snakes and monitor lizards can be sighted in the neighbourhood and park connectors.
NParks says on its website that wild animals, including monitor lizards, are naturally shy. They usually stay away from humans and do not attack unless provoked.
