Illinois man finds iguana in his garden

GRANITE CITY, Ill., Oct. 9 (UPI) -- An Illinois man was cleaning out his organic vegetable garden when a 15-pound iguana leaped out and frightened the gardener.

Kenny Richter of Granite City, Ill., said he reached to pull some pepper plants when the iguana popped up, the Granite City Press Record reported.

"After I saw what it was I thought I would catch him," Richter told the newspaper. "I ran him down in the corner but I couldn't catch him. His tail hit my ankle and I thought he broke it."

Richter got a fish net from his garage and caught the iguana.

A spokeswoman for a local animal care center said the lizard was probably abandoned by its owner.

Until a new owner can be found, Richter is keeping the iguana in a chicken coop with a space heater to keep it warm., the Press Record said.