1.5m-long monitor lizard on the loose, as Kadoorie Farm urges Hongkongers to report sightings

Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden (KFBG) has urged Hongkongers to report sightings of a water monitor lizard which escaped from a temporary enclosure on the New Territories farm.

Aberdeen the missing monitor lizard. File Photo: Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden.

The 1.5-metre reptile, named Aberdeen, had been a resident at KFBG in Lam Tsuen for eight years, after it was seized from the illegal pet trade.

“He is not aggressive but should not be trapped or cornered as he is strong and will try to escape… His animal care staff miss him a lot as he has a special character, and some of them have known him for a long time,” the NGO said in a Facebook appeal.

It added that Aberdeen escaped whilst undergoing medical treatment for a damaged toe: “[H]e managed to push out a wooden panel and squeeze out through a small gap in the enclosure on Thursday… His escape has been reported to the authorities as we keep Aberdeen under a special licence linked to our wildlife rescue work at KFBG.”

The farm said it was concerned about the busy road adjacent to the property, though the animal was not a threat to humans. Sightings should be reported to 2483 7122 or 2483 7200, or fauna@kfbg.org.

Water monitor lizards were once native to the city, feeding on rats, fish and carrion, but hunting and urban development drove them to extinction, according to KFBG.

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