Monitor lizard ‘threat’ reduced

The reptiles were sent to Khao Son Wildlife Nursery Station in Ratchaburi, a 1,000-rai (160-hectare) nature station with a fertile ecosystem. Suwanna Jungrungrueng, director-general of the BMA’s Environment Department, led 12 officials in catching at least 40 monitor lizards yesterday.
An army of TV and print journalists, including from foreign agencies, as well as concerned onlookers observed the operation.
The city workers, each armed with a long stick with a noose at the end and catfish used as bait, managed to get about 40 monitor lizards by 2pm.
BMA staff have previously sent 87 monitor lizards to the wildlife centre on two separate occasions.
Five ponds cover 20 per cent of the area of Lumpini Park, which reportedly has about 400 monitor lizards in total, some up to three metres long. City officials want to remove some of them because they are destroying the ecosystem and have scared joggers, while posing a hazard by dashing in front of cyclists.
Suwanna said the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation had approved the operation, noting that the BMA did not have reptile experts or guidelines on what an appropriate size for the lizard population in the park should be. But some needed to be removed as a short-term public safety measure.
‘We Love Lumpini Park’ foundation executive and former Nakhon Si Thammarat governor Nipon Boonyapattaro said he regularly rides a bike at the park and disagreed with the city removing the lizards.
“The reptiles don’t attack anyone ... The city has so many other things to do, why waste time on lizards?” he said.
Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department officials caught 2,831 lizards in the capital last year and another 2,673 this year by August.