This made my day: Policemen rescue monitor lizard from becoming roadkill near Nicoll Highway
PHOTO: Screengrab/Facebook/Just Keep Thinking
PUBLISHED ONApril 19, 2021 10:30 AMByAlexander Kyle Thirumaran
Police officers often risk their safety for others but as the public discovered recently, this applies to animals too.
On April 18, a group filming for the educational site, Just Keep Thinking noticed a monitor lizard in the middle of Republic Ave near Kallang Basin.
They alerted two nearby police officers who immediately attempted to rescue the lizard from danger.
In a video originally posted by Just Keep Thinking, the male officer is seen kneeling in the middle of the road and also standing over the lizard as he tries to steer the animal by its tail.
He even tries to point in the direction of the roadside at one point, hoping the lizard would understand.
Finally, after exhausting these methods of persuasion, he directs the lizard to move to the roadside. He then gently lifts it off the road and onto the grass.
Towards the end of the clip, the male officer is seen carrying the lizard and then placing it near the water at Kallang Basin – the female officer can be seen waving goodbye.
In the background, members of the public are heard cheering for the officers.
Some netizens on Facebook reacted with heart emojis to these clips and commenters expressed positivity towards this kind deed.
Another wrote, "These animals are (sic) oso our immediate neighbour now and need the kampung spirit too."
When encountering a monitor lizard in an urban area, members of the public are advised not to corner or touch the animal. You can also call the ACRES wildlife rescue hotline at 97837782.