Lizard Escape Commotion During Walk in Gimpo Apartment Complex... Capture Completed (Comprehensive)

1m Pet Tegu Lizard
Disaster Alert Sent... Captured After 3 Hours

In Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi Province, a pet lizard about 1 meter long escaped during a walk, causing a commotion as the local government sent disaster alert messages to residents. The lizard was captured and returned to its owner about three hours after the escape.

According to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 15th, the fire authorities received a report around noon that a resident living in Masan-dong, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi Province, lost a pet tegu lizard during a walk. The police and fire authorities judged that although the escaped lizard is not venomous, it can bite people and is therefore dangerous. They requested the city to send disaster alert messages. At 12:37 PM that day, the alert was sent to the Masan-dong, Janggi-dong, and Gurae-dong areas, informing residents: "A large lizard about 1 meter in size has escaped from its habitat and is roaming around the Hills State area in Masan-dong. To prevent bite accidents, please do not approach and report immediately to 119 if found."

A pet lizard that escaped during a walk in Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 15th and was captured after 3 hours
[Photo by Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters, Yonhap News]

The apartment complex from which the lizard escaped is a large complex with over 1,000 households, located in a residential area with other apartment complexes and several elementary schools nearby. About 2 hours and 50 minutes after the report was received, at around 2:51 PM the same day, the lizard was captured near the reported location and handed over to its owner. A fire official said, "The escaped lizard was captured and returned to its owner 2 hours and 50 minutes after the report was received," adding, "It has been confirmed that there was no damage caused by the lizard."

Meanwhile, last year in Yeongju, Gyeongbuk Province, a savannah monitor lizard measuring 60 to 70 cm was captured. On July 27th last year, at around 3:30 PM, Yeongju City announced that a savannah monitor lizard was captured at a factory in Hucheon-dong. The city transferred the captured lizard to the Gyeongbuk Wildlife Rescue and Management Center, which then handed it over to the National Institute of Ecology. This lizard, classified as CITES Appendix II, is native to Africa and does not naturally exist in Korea. Authorities believe someone was keeping the lizard as a pet and abandoned it. About a month earlier, in June last year, a report was received in Yeongju that a 1-meter-long crocodile was found near Museomgyo Bridge in Museom Village, prompting a search by authorities, but no traces of a crocodile were found. The lizard was found 12 km away from Museomgyo Bridge, so it was determined to have no relation to the crocodile report.