Durban snake catcher rescues massive injured Monitor Lizard in Westville
The Nile Monitor Lizard had been attacked by dogs. As few of these reptiles survive such an attack, reptile expert, Nick Evans did not have much hope for the Lizard.
KZN Amphibian & Reptile Conservation’s Nick Evans rescued a old Nile Monitor Lizard more than 1.6m weighing about 8kg, from a Westville garden where it had suffered dog bites. Nick tells the story.
On the 19th of February I received a call about a Nile Monitor Lizard in a garden in Dawncliffe Road, Westville.
The homeowners were made aware of the lizards presence by their dogs, who they saw attacking it.
They called their dogs off and locked them away and were unaware that the lizard was injured, as it looked okay.
Living on the edge of Paradise Valley Nature Reserve, they had hoped that the Monitor Lizard would run back down into the reserve. It didn’t.
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A few hours later, the homeowners checked to see if the lizard was still there and that’s when I was called.
I knew that, the fact it hadn’t moved at all over the space of a few hours, meant that something was seriously wrong with this animal.
Usually, they disappear in a flash. And this was a big beast, it was one of the biggest Monitor Lizards I’ve seen.
As I neared it, it started hissing, as they always do and lifted its tail back, getting ready to swing at me.
Because it was injured, I assumed that it wouldn’t have much fight in it. I ignored the warning sign, and regretted that. As I stepped closer, ‘Whack!’. It whipped its tail right across my chest.
Before it could give me another smack, I quickly lunged forward and pinned its head down with one hand, and the tail with the other.
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I inspected its wounds. It had a nasty incision just behind its eye, and I could see a few maggots were already inside. There were a few other minor wounds near the base of the tail, and I was concerned about broken bones.
I took it to some veterinary friends, to see if they could work their magic. Admittedly, I didn’t have high hopes for it. Most of the time, if Monitor Lizards are attacked by dogs, they rarely survive. Apart from the injuries, I think the trauma plays a big part.
I relieved to find that it had survived the first night, then the second, then the third. Eventually, the days were tallying up.
It seemed like this Monitor was going to survive! It was receiving the best of care, and the vet and husbandry teams were doing a wonderful job.
Release
The day finally came, where it was declared fit for release.
We took it deep down into a valley, and released it in perfect habitat (a lovely river with beautiful natural vegetation alongside of it). It went straight into the water, as they always do, and we ran alongside it for a few dozen meters. The water level was shallow, and so we had glorious views of it swimming underwater so gracefully, so crocodile-like.
A big thanks to those friends of mine who took such great care of it for me.
Are these large lizards important?
Yes! In the Greater Durban Area, Monitor Lizards are the apex predators of our aquatic systems, and we need them. They eat anything smaller than them. When this one
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poo’d, when I caught it, I saw remains of crab shells. But, as I said, they’ll eat anything smaller than them, including rodents and venomous snakes!
Youngsters are also food for animals such as birds of prey. Crowned Eagles seem to have a particular liking to them. So yes, they have their link in our food chain.
It is illegal to kill them. They are a protected species. Unfortunately, many are still illegally killed and eaten or used for traditional medicine. After seeing what they eat, and the quality of some of the water they live in, I wouldn’t want to eat that! It can’t be healthy for humans. Many are also killed by cars and by dogs.
Are they dangerous?
To people? No. When a Monitor Lizard is seen in a garden or public area, it often creates a lot of panic. Despite their crocodile-like appearance, this lizard does not eat people. They don’t grow much larger than this 1.6m specimen. They are totally harmless to people if left alone. Their sense of smell, vision and hearing is brilliant, and so they sense people
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coming before we can get close. They are extremely fast-moving, and will always run away, often diving into water where they feel at home. They can also climb really well, and because of this, they are occasionally found in ceilings (where there’s food- rats).
However, should one try to grab a cornered Monitor, they will defend themselves. They can give you a hard slap with their tail, rip you up with their skin, and they can bite like a dog. But they will not attack. I’ve had countless calls where these lizards have been attacked by dogs, but not once did the lizard run and attack the dog.
“What should we do if we see a Monitor Lizard?”
The Nile Monitor Lizard (also known by its Afrikaans name, Likkewaan) is common in the Greater Durban Area, although numbers may appear to be in decline. They are often seen in gardens. Should you see one in your garden, please lock your dog’s away. If you live on the edge of a reserve, the lizard will probably flee into the bush pretty quick. If you don’t have dogs, you could probably just leave it to go on its own accord. If it’s cornered or injured, and you wish for it to be removed, you can call KZN Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (072 809 5806), KZN Wildlife (031 274 1150), or Kloof & Highway SPCA (031 764 1212/3) for assistance.
If you do call for it to be removed, stand ten meters away or more, and please keep an eye on the animal to keep track of its movements.
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