Monitor lizard rescued from residential areas in Thane, released in the wild

Mumbai: A three-and-half foot monitor lizard was rescued from a residential area in neighbouring Thane city on Monday after several sightings led to panicked residents calling up the forest department, an official said.

NGO RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare), which specialises in such rescues and post-rescue rehabilitation, were contacted and its team, comprising Mahesh Ithape and Aman Singh, began efforts to trace the lizard that was scaling walls and moving from complex to complex in Shree Nagar area, Thane Forest Range official Ashok Kateskar said.

"We realised the reptile had got displaced and was finding its way back to its natural habitat. We skilfully tracked and rescued it on Monday afternoon. A veterinary examination revealed it was fit to be released in the wild," RAWW founder and honorary wildlife warden Pawan Sharma said.

"The monitor lizard was released in its nearest natural habitat in coordination with RAWW after following protocols," Kateskar confirmed.

These reptiles are accorded highest protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, Sharma added.