RIVERSIDE, Calif., Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Authorities in California said a 45-pound monitor lizard was caught wandering the grounds of a condominium complex.

The Riverside County Department of Animal Services said officer Jenny Selter responded to a 2:30 p.m. Tuesday call about a loose lizard at the Riverside complex and she arrived to find a 5-foot-long monitor strolling down the complex's sidewalk, The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise reported Wednesday.


The department said Selter used a catch pole to ensnare the reptile and loaded it into her truck with the help of a police officer.

Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said investigators believe the lizard is an escaped pet and they are trying to locate the owner. He said monitors are not illegal to keep in the state.