Unexpected guest at Blue Cross after giant lizard found abandoned in park

Slick the tegu

Blue Cross vets and nurses were left stunned when an unusual animal was brought through our doors by a member of the public after being found abandoned.

We’re used to acting quickly when we’re sadly needed to help dumped dogs, cats and horses, but we’ve never been called on to help a giant lizard found roaming on a common before.

The blue tegu – nicknamed ‘Slick’ by our team – was taken to our Merton animal hospital in south London after being found all alone in Morden Hall Park.

He measures 46 inches – almost four feet – from nose to tail and is thought to be between three and five years old. We scanned him for a microchip in an attempt to reunite him with his owner, and although we found a chip, unfortunately there were no contact details registered to it.

Elise Smith, deputy nurse manager at Blue Cross Merton, said: “It’s very rare that we get reptiles handed into us, we’ve certainly never seen anything as large as this. We were not sure what it was at first. It’s the first tegu we’ve seen here at Merton. It’s lucky to be alive given the recent bitterly cold weather. 
 
“We understand that people’s circumstances can change and would always urge pet owners to reach out to their nearest animal charity for help if they are struggling with a pet rather than abandoning them to fend for themselves.” 

Tegus are an omnivorous species that live in tropical rainforests and deserts of east and central South America. They are capable of running at high speeds and can run bi-pedally for short distances.

If threatened, they can whip their tails to swipe at aggressors and can even charge and inflict a painful bite. They often use this method in territorial defence, with the mouth open and front legs held wide to look more threatening.

Adult males are much larger than the females and can grow to lengths of nearly five feet.

Blue Cross generally treats cats, dogs, small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs at our animal hospitals. When other species and wildlife are brought in our teams will provide emergency care if needed, but will then contact local organisations with more specialist expertise to take on the animal.

Slick has been rehomed by exotic pet expert, Harry Craft
Slick has been rehomed by exotic pet expert, Harry Craft

Luckily Slick has found an experienced home with Harry Craft, a reptile expert who was recommended to Blue Cross by the exotics team at the Royal Veterinary College.

Harry, who is studying veterinary medicine at the Royal Veterinary College, said: “I’m currently treating the tegu with an injection as he has a respiratory infection. If left without treatment, the infection could have proved fatal but he is making a good recovery.

“It’s clear that he hasn’t been fed the correct diet which has led to him being overweight.

“Tegus, like any reptile, require expert care and if they are not handled regularly, they can show aggressive behaviour. If upset or stressed they will start to make a huffing sound before whipping their tail. A tegu can charge and inflict a painful and damaging bite, strong enough to take off a finger.

“Exotic animals have extremely complex welfare needs which are very difficult, if not impossible, to meet in the home environment. For the inexperienced, it can be difficult to care for many of these animals in a domestic environment and as a result the animals’ welfare can suffer and members of the public put at risk.”

Blue Cross would advise people against getting an exotic pet and with Slick’s arrival, we have reissued our call on the government to review exotic pet regulations.

A report we carried out in 2016 found tens of thousands of exotic animals easily available online for sale. Particular concerns we uncovered were the many adverts not properly identifying the species for sale, a lack of any advice on the animals' history or how to care for them and sellers not even being required to state whether an animal is appropriate to be kept as a pet.

Steve Goody, Blue Cross deputy chief executive, said: “We would never suggest buying exotic pets, as it can be difficult to meet their welfare needs in a home environment. 

“Unfortunately, it is far too easy to buy tegus and other reptiles online and many people do so without realising the amount of care and commitment they need.

“We would like the government to commit to a proper review of the regulations surrounding the breeding, sale and keeping of exotic pets.”