Monitor lizards engage in royal rumble at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, fight went on for hours
Visitors to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) usually expect serene walks, migratory birds, and the occasional reptile sighting. But for one lucky regular, a trip to the reserve turned into front-row seats for a “royal rumble” fight, starring three feuding monitor lizards.
On 16 Aug, Mr Hemanth Kumar Tholappa, a frequent visitor to the reserve, was drawn to loud thrashing noises coming from the lake beside the SBWR’s Visitor Centre.
To his shock, the 56-year-old spotted three monitor lizards locked in a fierce battle for dominance and captured the entire showdown on camera.
Monitor lizard tussle leaves 1 bloody
Sharing his video on Facebook, Mr Hemanth noted that one of the lizards had sustained a nasty wound: a deep cut on its neck.
“The deep laceration on his neck was apparently caused (or exacerbated) by his banging ferociously (accidentally) onto to [sic] the metal beams beneath the adjoining platform,” he wrote on the post caption.
Speaking to MS News, he explained that the fight had started as a one-on-one tussle, but things escalated when a third reptile joined in.
The injured lizard, once dominant, suddenly found itself outnumbered and later subdued.
“I almost thought that he was drowning, but he recovered later,” he told MS News. “The other two continued fighting after moving further away from the injured one.”
Source: Hemanth Kumar on Facebook
Despite the blood, the clash wasn’t an all-out battle.
Mr Hemanth suggested the fight was likely about “supremacy before mating season”, comparing it to elephant seals in California’s Año Nuevo National Park, where males often stage “mock fights” as practice before the actual fighting during the mating season.
“What I observed and learnt from this experience at SWBR is that these monitor lizards don’t seem to hurt one another for the most part,” he explained, calling the fight “sumo wrestling for prolonged durations”.
“They probably indulge in multiple bouts before the victors are decided.”
Source: Hemanth Kumar on Facebook
Hours-long clash stuns even NParks volunteer
Mr Hemanth said the brawl lasted well over two hours — far longer than any wildlife scuffle he had previously witnessed at SBWR.
“After covering that a bit and a few other skirmishes within the premises, I decided to call it a day as it was nearing the park’s closing time,” he explained.
When he asked an NParks volunteer about it, the staff member admitted the sight was “truly incredible” and something they hadn’t seen before.
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is a ‘biodiversity gift’
Reflecting on the dramatic encounter, Mr Hemanth praised SBWR’s rich biodiversity. He explained that he used to visit every month in the past, but has been visiting the reserve almost weekly recently.
“I bring my family and friends over too whenever I can,” he added.
The IT manager also recalled how he once spotted six snakes on a single trip, saying that the reserve has “amazing biodiversity”.
Source: Nparks
“SBWR is a pristine gift to Singapore and to all its visitors,” he said.
He expressed a hope that “many more residents will start visiting and enjoying our precious SBWR into the future”.
Also read: Huge monitor lizard eats stingray at MacRitchie Reservoir, onlooker calls it ‘Nat Geo moment’
Huge monitor lizard eats stingray at MacRitchie Reservoir, onlooker calls it ‘Nat Geo moment’
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Featured image adapted from Hemanth Kumar on Facebook.
