Police find reported iguana on highway shoulder was stuffed toy

Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Police in British Columbia responded to a report of a 4-foot-long "live iguana" on the shoulder of a busy highway, but arrived to find the alleged lizard was a stuffed toy.

Mission RCMP said on social media that a caller reported seeing the "large live iguana" on the shoulder of Lougheed Highway, near Shook Street.

"Although some people may have immediately thought that such a report could not be true, any experienced officer will tell you that there are many times in this job that we encounter all sorts of peculiar situations, so this report could not be completely dismissed," the post said.

Officials wrote that officers "have extensive training to deal with a variety of situations, but iguana-wrangling is not one of them."

"Fortunately, the officers that were dispatched to the call had three necessary tools at their disposal: a dog-catching pole, a large crate, and extraordinary bravery."

The officers slowly approached the iguana's location "until they were close enough to confirm it was anatomically incorrect, and it was, in fact, a stuffed iguana, designed to look very realistic," the RCMP said.

Police shared an image of the offending toy, reminding social media users to "keep in mind that motorists saw it while traveling at highway speeds."

Mission RCMP urged residents to contact police "if you are missing your stuffed lizard."