One-metre 'lizard' found in Satwa parking lot

Dubai: Satwa office workers were shocked to find a one-metre 'lizard' in the parking lot. The 'lizard', they say, was just walking around the car parking spaces.

Roydin Roach, GM, Ortronics, who found the bright green animal said, "It was just still when i found it, I thought it was dead. Then it started running. It was quite difficult to catch as it was snapping back at us. It took us about 15 or 20 minutes to get it into the basket."

The animal was trapped in a wastepaper basket and was kept in the Satwa offices overnight.

Dr Reza Khan, director, Dubai Zoo said, "It's probably a common iguana, if it's more than one foot in size. We have recovered three from the Jumeirah, Satwa and Rashidiya areas before. It's more than likely that it's someone's pet that has escaped. The animal is not native to the UAE as it is found in the South American Amazon forest."

Dubai Zoo will be sending an animal collector to retrieve the animal.