Safari tour guide makes shocking discovery inside car engine
A safari park ranger made a surprising discovery to find a giant live lizard had hitched a ride for four hours, trapped in a car engine.
Ayesha Cantor was visiting Kuzuko Lodge, part of the Greater Addo Elephant National Park, in South Africa, when she had to remove the rock monitor lizard from under the bonnet of her jeep.
The scared lizard, which was lucky to be alive, made his way further into the car as they tried to retrieve him and decided to continue, hoping he would make his way out on the journey.
“On opening the hood the monitor scrambled to hide behind the engine and proved impossible to dislodge so the guide thought to continue and that he may find his own way out along the way,” Ms Cantor said.
“The lizard must have stayed inside the car for the three-hour game drive and back to reception, which was about a 19-mile (30.5 kilometre) journey.
“He was big, which came as a bit of a shock, but also clearly distressed by this point, hissing and thrashing his powerful tail in warning.
“Their teeth are sharp and their tails can deliver a numbing wack but I believe they are more concerned about getting away from humans.”
The lizard was safely removed and released back into the wild.
“He was mighty indeed and in no hurry to get away as continued to hiss and thrash,” Ms Cantor said.
Other than having some engine oil on his body, the motorist said she did not notice any injuries.
“Never a dull moment in the bush,” she said.
– Caters
