Rains bring wildlife to Indian runway

NEW DELHI, June 18 (UPI) -- New Delhi's "cats and dogs" rains forced a menagerie, from lizards to jackals, onto the Indian capital's airport runway, delaying several flights.

Seeking refuge from the torrential rains, the soaked interlopers, which also included raptors and 3-foot-long monitor lizards, refused to budge from the warm and dry tarmac at Indira Gandhi International Airport Monday until forcibly evicted by animal rescue teams.

Dozens of flights were delayed, CNN reported. The monsoon rains have arrived early this year in the region.

Airport spokesman Arun Arora said the runway had to be shut down until animal rescuers had moved all the squatters to more natural habitats, the CNN report said.

"The runway is the only safe area. So they come out," said Kartik Satyanarayan with the wildlife conservation group.

Arora could not estimate how many flights were delayed, noting, "(The) numbers are speculative as it is difficult to attribute delays to bad weather, strong winds, birds or animals."

Satyanarayan assured, "The monitor lizards -- they look frightening but they are harmless animals. But they can grow about 3 to 4 feet long. And at the velocity a plane lands, the (lizards) can still cause damage."