While Singapore is generally a concrete jungle, residents are sometimes reminded that we co-exist with other non-human living things.
These include monitor lizards, which are usually found in our nature spaces.
However, of late, the reptiles have been seen in residential areas too, most recently on the ledge of an HDB block in Punggol.
Source: Simon Owen Khoo in Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
Thankfully, it managed to jump safely to a lift landing.
Photos of the scaly creature were shared on Facebook via the Singapore Wildlife Sightings group on Thursday (25 May).
The OP said it was casually perched on a ledge on the third floor of his block.
In the images, the OP’s neighbour can be seen staring at the monitor lizard from the corridor.
Source: Simon Owen Khoo in Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
Replying to a comment, the OP said his block is in Waterway Sundew, which is “full of monitor lizards”.
Source: Simon Owen Khoo in Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
According to BTO HQ, the cluster comprises seven blocks of flats along Edgedale Plains.
Source: Google Maps
Some netizens worried about the monitor lizard’s safety, advising the OP to call Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) to rescue it.
A few hours later, however, the OP updated that the reptile managed to get back to the lift landing safely.
Source: Simon Owen Khoo in Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
This is after his neighbour went to retrieve a stick; when she returned, the monitor lizard was no longer on the ledge.
He was of the opinion that she might have been intending to prod it off the ledge, though thankfully this wasn’t needed.
Source: Simon Owen Khoo in Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
Remarkably, this is at least the third reported case of monitor lizards straying into residential areas this year.
In January, a monitor lizard appeared in Punggol also, in a kopitiam along Edgefield Plains, scaring patrons.
Earlier this week, a monitor lizard appeared even closer to home. It was seen waiting outside a flat in Bedok.
While the appearance of such a huge reptile in the neighbourhood might be surprising, bear in mind that the creatures themselves might also be unsettled at finding humans in what used to be their habitat.
We hope the monitor lizards found their way home eventually.
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Featured image adapted from Simon Owen Khoo in Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook.
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