Scaly beasts that won the hearts of Thai park users

Shortly after dawn, Lumphini Park comes alive. Bangkok residents descend on the sprawling green oasis in the middle of the city, eager to squeeze in a workout before the heat of the day takes hold.

- Gloria Dickie

Shortly after dawn, Lumphini Park comes alive. Bangkok residents descend on the sprawling green oasis in the middle of the city, eager to squeeze in a workout before the heat of the day takes hold. Joggers trot along curving paths. Old men struggle under barbells at the outdoor gym. Spandex-clad women stretch into yoga poses on the grass.

Just metres away, another park occupant strikes its own lizard pose. About 400 Asian water monitor lizards live in Lumphini Park, and this morning they are out in full force - scrambling up palm trees, swimming through the waterways and wrestling on the road. Every now and then, a scaly interloper veers in front of a runner.

"The big ones are usually fine because they move quite slowly and you can kind of hop over," said Jayla Chintanaroj, a Bangkok resident who often runs in the park. "But the small ones can be quite fast. There have been a few times I've almost tripped over one."

The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) is the world's second largest species of lizard, reaching lengths of about 2 metres. It can be found in rivers, lakes and swamps across south-east Asia and into India and China. Increasingly, however, the dark brown lizard can be spotted in urban areas, joining the many animals that have carved out a stronghold in cities.

As the urban lizard population increases, authorities are receiving more calls about conflicts: lizards intruding upon popular fishing spots, raiding livestock and even crawling into people's homes.