5-Foot Monitor Lizard Caught in California (VIDEO)

An animal control officer and a local police officer caught a 45-pound monitor lizard on Tuesday that had been roaming around a condo complex in Riverside, California.

Officer Jenny Selter of the Riverside County Department of Animal Services responded to an afternoon call of a lizard running loose at the complex, according to Animal Services spokesman John Welsh.

When Selter arrived, she was surprised to find a 5-foot monitor lizard wandering along the sidewalk.

“She said she saw it and almost jumped back in her truck,” said Welsh. “The residents were freaking out because here’s the Godzilla-like creature walking down the sidewalk.”

A local police officer helped her maneuver the lizard into the animal control truck as it hissed and slapped its tail.

Monitor lizards are members of the family Varanidae. They have a distinctive upper set of teeth to intimidate their predators when in danger. Varanus is a group of largely carnivorous lizards which includes the largest living lizard, the Komodo dragon, and the crocodile monitor.

Authorities believe the monitor lizard was a that managed to get away from its owner. Monitor lizards are native to Africa but are not illegal to own in California, he said.