▲ The large lizard spotted in Gwanggyo
Amid a recent string of sightings involving internationally endangered species or ecosystem-disturbing species in urban areas, a large lizard has appeared in the Gwanggyo New Town in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, startling residents.
The lizard is believed to be a pet raised by a resident in a nearby apartment complex who escaped through a window at home.
According to media reports compiled today (August 11), a lizard measuring about 1 meter in length appeared earlier this month on a walking trail at an apartment complex in the Wellbing Town of Gwanggyo New Town.
Believed to be a water monitor lizard, an endangered species under CITES Appendix II, the lizard flicked its tongue, looked around, crossed a wooden deck, and disappeared into the bushes.
An 18-second video capturing the lizard was reportedly shared among residents of Wellbing Town.
The resident who provided the video said, "It has been circulating among neighbors since the 7th. Everyone was shocked to see such a large lizard roaming around."
Succeeding accounts from nearby residents continue to emerge.
One resident said, "A few days ago in broad daylight, while taking a walk near the location in the video, I saw the long tail of a creature moving in the bushes. It looks very similar to the lizard's tail in the video, so I think it is the same one."
A library is located a few dozen meters away from the spot where the lizard appeared, and an elementary school is about 300 meters away, raising concerns over children's safety.
In group chat rooms for residents, anxious reactions poured in, with comments such as "Was the pet lizard abandoned?", "(Water monitor lizards) are said to be venomous," and "What if children get bitten?"
According to residents, the lizard was not abandoned but was raised by a resident in a nearby complex. It is presumed to have escaped recently after falling from a house window into the piloti space of the complex.
The lizard had reportedly escaped once before and was captured, and the owner was known to frequently engage in outdoor activities with it, such as carrying it on their shoulder or showing it to children at the complex playground.
The owner's side is currently searching for the lizard, but it has reportedly not been captured yet as it hid deep in the bushes.
As of yesterday (August 10), it was confirmed that no reports of a lizard sighting in the Gwanggyo New Town area had been filed with the police or fire authorities.
Meanwhile, on July 18, a Siamese crocodile, a Class 1 internationally endangered species, was found and captured along the Soyangcheon stream in Yeoju, and on August 9, a turtle measuring about 30 cm in length, suspected to be an ecosystem-disturbing species, was found in a drainage ditch at a resort in Gijang-gun, Busan.
(Photo provided by reader, Yonhap News)
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