Bhubaneswar: A monitor lizard that was trapped in the toilet of a residential house in the city was rescued on Sunday.
Dr Binay Das, a professor in Law Department of Utkal University, here spotted the monitor lizard in the hole of a toilet in his house and his family members tried to drive it out without harming it.
As they failed in their efforts, Dr Das informed the Snake Helpline. A two-member team led by Subhendu Mallik, general secretary of Snake Helpline reached the spot and found that the lizard was stuck halfway in the U-bend of the toilet. Its head and two forelegs were out and rest of the body was inside the hole.
Rajesh Sutar, a member of the Snake Helpline first tried to gently pull the lizard with his hand, but it did not work. With no option left, the rescue team sought permission from Dr Das to break the toilet pan.
The law professor, who teaches environment law and wildlife Act to students, unhesitatingly agreed to break the pan to save the life of the lizard.
Then the Helpline team broke the ceramic pan using two crowbars slowly and delicately so as not to cause any injury to the monitor. The lizard was finally pulled out gently by Rajesh. The entire rescue process took over an hour. Later, the monitor lizard was released in a suitable natural habitation.
Rajesh, who suffered a cut in his fingers while breaking the pan, said, “My sole aim was to save the monitor lizard which would have choked to death. I am happy that I managed to pull it out without a scratch to its body.”
“The rescue operation was very satisfactory and set a positive example of cohabitation of humans and wildlife. The professor will have to spend a good amount to repair the bathroom. But he was happy that the life of the monitor lizard was saved,” said Mallik.
