Meerkat and Giant Lizard, Why Are You Here?... Discovered in Hongseong and Yesan

Estimated to Have Been Abandoned by Tourists at Yesan Market and Others

Following the discovery of a Savannah monitor lizard in Yeongju, Gyeongbuk last month, Savannah monitor lizards, Horsfield's tortoises, and meerkats have also been found in Yesan and Hongseong, Chungnam.

A 1-meter-long Savannah monitor lizard discovered in Hongseong.
[Photo provided by Hongseong-gun]

According to Yesan and Hongseong counties on the 3rd, Mr. A, who resides in Gyeonggi Province, found a 1-meter-long Savannah monitor lizard on a walking trail in Hongseong County between June and July, and also discovered a 15 cm-long Horsfield's tortoise in Yesan-eup, Yesan County. He reported both findings to the Han River Basin Environmental Office on the 28th of last month.

Yesan County received the related information through the Geumgang Basin Environmental Office and brought the Savannah monitor lizard and Horsfield's tortoise to the Chungnam Wildlife Protection Center for temporary care.

They will set a stray animal announcement period until the 10th and 14th of this month to allow owners or others to be informed of the protection measures. After the announcement period, the animals are scheduled to be transferred to the National Institute of Ecology.

Earlier, in May, a farmer in Daeheung-myeon, Yesan County, found and reported a 27 cm-long Leopard tortoise. This tortoise is currently being cared for at the National Institute of Ecology.

A young meerkat about 20 cm long found near a fishing spot around Yedangho Lake last April. [Video provided by Yesan-gun]

In April, a young meerkat about 20 cm long was also spotted standing guard at a fishing spot near Yedangho Lake. This meerkat is being protected at the Wildlife Protection Center.

Yesan County suspects that since all the discovered animals are non-native species, someone likely kept them as pets and then abandoned them in the area.

In particular, as Yesan Market and Yedangho Lake have become popular, it is believed that someone visiting the area may have abandoned the animals.

Meanwhile, in Yeongju, Gyeongbuk, where the 'crocodile commotion' occurred, a Savannah monitor lizard measuring 1 meter in length was captured, and a reticulated python, a species native to tropical rainforest regions, was found in an export-import container at a factory.