Rescued lizard so big it was kept in dog kennel

The lizard was 3ft long

A lizard rescued after escaping from its owners' home was so big it had to be kept in a dog kennel, an animal charity said.

The 3ft-long (91cm) reptile was found wandering around Castel in Guernsey at about 16:30 BST on Friday.

The Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) said it was the biggest lizard it had ever seen on the island.

It was retrieved by its owners about five hours later, the charity said.

The lizard was found around Castel

The GSPCA said the owners believed the reptile had escaped from its cage after managing to expand the gap for its heat lamp.

Manager Steve Byrne said the lizard was believed to be a tegu, a species from South America which is popular as a pet for its docile nature and intelligence.

Mr Byrne said the creature was so big it was kept in a kennel prior to its rescue as there was "no vivarium large enough".

It was kept in a dog kennel because there was no vivarium large enough

He added: "We had an emergency call to what was reported as an extremely large lizard.

"Being nearly 3ft long it is certainly the largest reptile in our care."

Rescue officer Neil Hughes added: "When we are called out to lizards they are often bearded dragons or sometimes tiny lizards found in suitcases from holidaymakers returning home.

"Today I was faced with the largest lizard rescue I have been called out to which was a real surprise."

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