State environmental police released this photo of a water monitor lizard, which Webster police reported July 18 had gone missing. The species is not native; Webster Animal Control reports that it was owned illegally. The state sets conditions for owning non-native animals.
A five-foot long water monitor that escaped from a home in Webster more than a week ago remains on the loose after it was spotted last week in Connecticut.
Water monitors are a type of lizard with sharp teeth, and this one named Goose that is black with white scars on its back was last seen around Little Pond in Thompson, Connecticut, according to a Facebook post on Friday, July 25 by that town’s animal control officer.
More: In Webster, a 5-foot lizard is on the loose and is the talk of the town
Little Pond is several miles southwest of Blueberry Lane in Webster, where the reptile went missing on Thursday, July 17.
Thompson animal control hasn’t received any calls about sightings since the one around Little Pond, said Amy St. Onge, a member of Thompson’s Board of Selectman. “I really hope we can capture it for its own safety and protection,” she said.
Webster Animal Control officer Desiree Roussin wasn’t immediately available for comment.
The reptile’s owner didn’t have a license for the pet, and reports said it slithered out of the owner’s second-floor window. Several hours passed before it was reported missing, a lapse that authorities said made finding the reptile more difficult.
Water monitors prefer warm weather, and Roussin has said it’s important to find Goose before winter, because he likely wouldn’t survive cold weather.
Authorities stress anyone who sees Goose should call authorities immediately, and don’t try to capture it. Leave that task to the experts. Water monitors are generally not a threat to humans and pets, but can lash out if they feel threatened.
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Water monitor Goose still missing after escape from Webster, MA