Monitor lizard chilling on 3rd floor HDB ledge surprises Punggol residents

Your scaly resident in Punggol.

Fiona Tan | May 26, 2023, 07:24 PM

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Monitor lizards, and their surprisingly impressive climbing skills, have been making headlines in Singapore recently.

On May 25, 2023, it was reported that an overly friendly huge-ass monitor lizard in Bedok had decided to pay some residents a house visit, giving them the shock of their lives.

A few hours later on the same day, another monitor lizard in Punggol was sighted chilling on a HDB ledge that is three storeys above ground.

Image by Simon Owen Khoo from Singapore Wildlife Sightings/Facebook.

Monitor lizard on ledge

Simon Owen Khoo shared the incident on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group.

Khoo resides at the Waterway Sundew HDB block in Punggol where the monitor lizard was sighted on May 25.

He said the monitor lizard was on a ledge on the third floor.

A concerned-looking resident could be seen in Khoo's photos, peeking at the monitor lizard from the corridor.

Image by Simon Owen Khoo from Singapore Wildlife Sightings/Facebook.

People on edge

It turns out that she was not the only one worried about the reptile's well-being.

Several individuals commented on Khoo's post, either hoping to find out what happened to the monitor lizard or asking him to call the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) for help.

According to Khoo, a resident went to get a stick after seeing the monitor lizard, but it was nowhere to be seen after she returned.

Khoo wrote in the caption that his neighbour told him that the monitor lizard "somehow managed to get back onto the lift landing" and shared a photo of the reptile at the said location.

Image by Simon Owen Khoo from Singapore Wildlife Sightings/Facebook.

Monitor lizard is safe

Other individuals commented to ask Khoo how the monitor lizard wound up on the HDB ledge in the first place.

Khoo replied to a comment that the monitor lizard jumped off the ledge and reassured her that it was safe.

Image screenshot from Facebook.

He told another two individuals that the monitor lizard "got off the ledge on its own" and there was "no sign" of the creature afterwards.

Not the first time

This is not the first time that a monitor lizard has been spotted in the Punggol residential area.

In January 2023, Mothership reported that a monitor lizard found its way into a Punggol kopitiam.

Khoo also noted that monitor lizards are aplenty in the Waterway Sundew estate.

Image screenshot from Facebook.

According to the National Parks Board (NParks), monitor lizards can be found in forests, mangrove swamps, and man-made canals.

Coincidentally, both the Punggol kopitiam and the Waterway Sundew estate are located close to the waterway park, which could explain why monitor lizards have been sighted in these areas.

In this instance, one individual suggested that the cold-blooded reptile climbed onto the ledge for a brief bask in the sun.

Image screenshot from Facebook.

Two other individuals quipped that it wanted to steal the limelight of the monitor lizard sighted in Bedok North.

Image screenshot from Facebook.

What to do if you encounter a monitor lizard

While it is unclear why the monitor lizard appeared on the Waterway Sundew HDB ledge, or at the Punggol kopitiam and Bedok for that matter, there is no cause for concern as such instances are likely to be few and far between.

Monitor lizards are naturally shy and will rather stay away from humans.

They typically do not attack unless provoked or cornered and its venom is not fatal to humans.

NParks advises members of the public to keep a distance and leave the reptiles alone when encountered.

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Top image by Simon Owen Khoo from Singapore Wildlife Sightings/Facebook