Large lizard still on the loose
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Photo of monitor lizard in Janesville
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Monitor lizard sightings
JANESVILLE — Janesville police reported no new sightings Thursday of a large monitor lizard first seen Tuesday afternoon by a resident who lives at 613 Williams St.
As time permits, officers are checking the area, Sgt. Craig Klementz said.
Police also are following a lead to identity the lizard’s owner, he said.
Craig Berg, reptile and aquarium curator at the Milwaukee County Zoo, told Janesville police the lizard is not dangerous to humans, Klementz said.
“We don’t really suspect the public is at any great risk or in danger from this,’’ Klementz said.
“We’re still concerned—want to find it and capture it—but the likelihood of someone becoming injured by this lizard is fairly slight based on the information we’re receiving from Berg,’’ he said.
The Rock County Humane Society is getting calls from people worried about their pets being outside with the lizard on the loose, said Jim Hurley, operations manager.
He, too, believes the public is not at risk.
“It’s really, really unlikely it’s going to be able to crawl out (of the sewer system where it was last seen Tuesday night) and pose a problem. With the temperatures going down, it’s not going to really move. It’s going to try and stay still, conserve its energy,’’ Hurley said.
Hurley said his concern would be higher if it were June or July.
“But because of the weather we’re experiencing right now, it’s not conducive to the lizard living. So the risk factor is really diminished with the temperatures we’ve had,’’ he said.
The bottom of this lizard’s normal living conditions is 70 degrees, Hurley said.
“It’s just going to stop moving and suffer from hypothermia,’’ he said.
Oct 5, 2010 at 1:08 p.m.
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This poor guy is probably dead by now. BUT Nile monitors are VERY dangerous. They will run after you and your pets. Remember Steve Irwin? He did a show with one of these guys and couldn't really say much nice about them because they are so dangerous. The thing actually lunged at Steve. Kind of like the small version of a Komodo Dragon. I do agree that the owner does need to be punished.
Oct 3, 2010 at 12:09 p.m.
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"This is Tokyo. Once a city of six million people. What has happened here was caused by a force which up until a few days ago was entirely beyond the scope of Man's imagination. Tokyo, a smoldering memorial to the unknown, an unknown which at this very moment still prevails and could at any time lash out with its terrible destruction anywhere else in the world. There were once many people here who could've told of what they saw... now there are only a few. My name is Steve Martin. I am a foreign correspondent for United World News. I was headed for an assignment in Cairo, when I stopped off in Tokyo for a social; but it turned out to be a visit to the living HELL of another world."
Oct 3, 2010 at 8:59 a.m.
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The person who let this loose should be punished to the full extent of the law against animal cruelty!!!
Oct 2, 2010 at 8:39 p.m.
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Kinda sad, the poor thing, you can bet he has probably died by now, its been awful cold the last couple of nights! (and days too!)
Oct 2, 2010 at 6:51 p.m.
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Maybe someone could make a one way trap for the lizard. Take a 50 gal drum and put it on its side, hook up some heat lamps and lizard treats. Make a hinged one way door with some heavy screen. I think it would like the heat more than the food right now.
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