A two-man team from NParks captured the lizard using tongs and blankets, before putting it into a cage and removing it from the home.
Mr Jeffrey Toh, the resident whose home the lizard roamed into, had suspicions from the onset that the reptile could have been 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 noted.
PUNGGOL RESIDENTS UNFAZED
Residents at Waterway Terraces II – the Punggol block at the centre of the incident – appeared unfazed by their neighbour’s encounter.
Most residents whom CNA spoke to said they are not afraid of a similar incident in their homes, with one resident saying a similar experience would instead be “interesting”.
Most were also aware they should call NParks or the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) should they have a similar encounter.
It is not uncommon to see wild animals in Punggol, with its waterway and forested areas. Monkeys, wild boars, snakes and monitor lizards can often be spotted in the neighbourhood and park connectors.
“I find the wildlife in Punggol interesting, it’s the charm of this area,” said Mr Terence Ho, a resident of the block. He added he would be “quite sad” if NParks took the lizard out of Punggol.
“They are not scary as long as we don’t provoke them. There’s a lot of monitor lizards along the waterway, and we live in harmony,” said another resident Mdm Law, adding she teaches her 13-year-old grandson to observe the reptiles from afar.
One resident, who only wanted to be known as Alex, said that it could be concerning if the lizard turns out to be someone’s pet.
“If it gets loose and bites kids along the corridor, kids may not have the antibodies to fight the venom. But for monitors in the wild, those are in nature and should be protected,” he said.
Monitor lizards secrete venom that can kill small prey but has a relatively mild effect on humans, according to NParks’ website.
A nature enthusiast and resident who wanted to be known by her surname Cheung said she immediately researched the breed of the monitor lizard by its markings upon seeing the pictures online.
She said that while she is not fearful of a similar encounter – she has a mesh gate because of pets – it would be useful for the public to know how to handle such a situation.
WHAT TO DO IF A MONITOR LIZARD VISITS YOUR HOME
Mr Raja said monitors do, at times, wander into areas frequented by humans, even near or into homes.
“They could be looking for food. Maybe one is wandering under a block and someone spooks it, and so it runs up the stairs,” he said.
