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Nile monitor lizard trapped in Southwest Florida neighborhood

Posted at 6:24 AM, Mar 23, 2017
and last updated 2019-03-26 07:58:22-04

(NBC/WBBH) - A 4-foot long Nile monitor lizard was trapped Wednesday in Southwest Florida neighborhood.

Cape Coral residents said they called trappers fearing the rather large reptile might make a meal of small pets.

Officials believe the lizard is making a home in the area because a group of owls are burrowing nearby and that's the kind of food the Nile monitor lizard eats.

 

Residents say they are just glad the reptile was caught.

"They're just evil. I mean they're one step from a Komodo Dragon for God sake," said Clark Sweeney, Cape Coral resident.  "They are an invasive predator that has a toxic bite and they kill endangered owls."

Burrowing owls, a protected species in the Cape Coral, are on the list of things the lizards like to eat, prompting the city to trap the invasive species.