Elderly man finds invading 5-foot lizard on bathroom shelf

March 22 (UPI) -- A Thailand man who heard a noise coming from his bathroom went to investigate and discovered a huge monitor lizard had climbed onto a shelf.

Kimkhun Likitwattanaset, 81, said he had been saying his morning prayers Wednesday when he went to investigate the racket in the bathroom of his Samut Songkhram home.

''I was meditating when I heard noises coming from the bathroom. I didn't know what it was and when I went to look, there was a monitor lizard clinging to the wall like a gecko," the resident said. ''Yes, it was a big surprise. It had caused a lot of mess and there were a lot of things on the floor. I closed the door and waited for the volunteer service to come and catch it.''

A video recorded by wildlife rescuers from the Sawang Baynjatam foundation shows the 5-foot lizard on a shelf with a mess on the floor and a shower caddie hanging from its tail.

The rescuers said the big lizard would be released into the wild a safe distance away.