A 5-foot water monitor lizard named Goose has been spotted in Massachusetts after disappearing from a Webster home last month.State environmental police said the illegal pet was spotted Wednesday in nearby Douglas. Officers responded immediately, but the fugitive reptile was gone when they arrived. If spotted, environmental police said people should not approach, attempt to capture or interact with the lizard because “as a captive-bred reptile, it may associate humans with food.”People should keep pets and children away from brush, woodpiles, water edges and other potential lizard hiding spots.Anyone who sees the reptile should contact Environmental Police at 800-632-8075.This type of lizard is native to south and Southeast Asia and is illegal to have as a pet in Massachusetts. They feed on invertebrates, carrion and smaller vertebrates. They can grow to about 8 feet and can live for more than 10 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
DOUGLAS, Mass. —
A 5-foot water monitor lizard named Goose has been spotted in Massachusetts after disappearing from a Webster home last month.
State environmental police said the illegal pet was spotted Wednesday in nearby Douglas.
Officers responded immediately, but the fugitive reptile was gone when they arrived.
If spotted, environmental police said people should not approach, attempt to capture or interact with the lizard because “as a captive-bred reptile, it may associate humans with food.”
People should keep pets and children away from brush, woodpiles, water edges and other potential lizard hiding spots.
Anyone who sees the reptile should contact Environmental Police at 800-632-8075.
This type of lizard is native to south and Southeast Asia and is illegal to have as a pet in Massachusetts. They feed on invertebrates, carrion and smaller vertebrates. They can grow to about 8 feet and can live for more than 10 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.