Whitley Bay lizard rescued after 4,500-mile suitcase stowaway

The lizard travelled from Orlando to Whitley Bay in a suitcase

A lizard has been rescued after stowing away in a suitcase and travelling 4,500 miles from Florida to Whitley Bay.

The green anole lizard was found after holidaymaker Rachel Bond unpacked her bags at her North Tyneside home.

Ms Bond, 54, said she feared her mother Margaret Crossland was seeing things when she said she could see a lizard on her bedroom door.

The lizard, which is a harmless tree-dweller, has been taken in by the RSPCA.

Ms Bond was unpacking after a holiday to Orlando when her mother spotted the animal, shouting: "There is a lizard on my bedroom door."

Ms Bond said: "I wasn't sure if it was her age that had caught up with her, but when I went upstairs she was adamant that she had seen the reptile go into her room.

'Incredible journey'

"We had a good look around and then we found it under the pillow on her bed.

"I think she was very relieved she didn't wake up in the night with it on her face - that would have been quite a shocker.

"It is quite remarkable that the lizard managed to travel all that way unharmed - but I do feel sorry for him, after enjoying such nice warm weather he ended up in Whitley Bay in winter."

RSPCA Inspector Lucy Green said it was "amazing" the lizard had survived "such an incredible journey, adding: "He is certainly a very lucky lizard."

She said it was unlikely the RSPCA would return accidental stowaways to their native country, so they are routinely rehomed to specialist keepers, zoos or wildlife parks.