Thread: Thailand : Lucky lizard finds loving home

Lucky lizard finds loving home
Source: Kom Chad Luek
Wednesday, December 1, 2010

GOOD IN BED: Mr Bunchoo said the lizard is not a threat.

RATCHABURI: Do huge monitor lizards make strange bedfellows? One family in Ratchaburi doesn’t seem to think so.

Bunchoo Rotchum, 75, his wife Somya, 65, and their two-year-old granddaughter Donlaya are sharing their bed with a 2.5-meter water monitor, causing a sensation in their village in tambon Pikunthong.

The creature, which the family named “Jaothong”, wandered into their home on November 17 and never left. They found Jaothong curled up in their wardrobe.

Mr Bunchoo said he’d heard that it was good luck if a monitor lizard walked into a house, so rather than chase Jaothong out, the family lit candles to welcome it.

Joathong crawled out of the wardrobe and onto the family’s bed. Since then he has spent every night inside the mosquito net with his three lizard loving friends.

Jaothong is perfectly safe and decidedly low-maintenene, Mr Bunchoo insists.

The lizard eats with the family, enjoying all the same food as his human companions. Mr Bunchoo said he thought Jaothong might have had a connection with the family in a past life. The family live in a wooden shack next to a canal inhabited by many monitor lizards.

One of the creatures once walked into house number 59 on the same street. The family reportedly bought lottery tickets with “59” as the final two digits – and won.

Villagers are said to be waiting for the next draw so they can buy tickets with the digits “127” in them – the number of the Rotchum family home.

phuketgazette.net

Originally Posted by Mid

Mr Bunchoo said he thought Jaothong might have had a connection with the family in a past life

Jaothong looks like a family member in this life.

I think Jaothong has got it's eyes on the baby.

looks like it could eat that kid

It probably couldn't eat the kiddie. However, it it did bite him or one of the family it would leave a nasty bacteria filled wound. They are a great pet if you keep them well fed but they need regular solid food to keep them passive. That fella looks well fed and is probably knocking off the occasional chook or smaller animal. Mine like the guts from the killed chook or the leftovers from a steak meal, the fat tails and the t-bone bone. I like watching them swallow the bone as it goes down their throat.

Of course you should never leave your kiddie unattended with a water monitor.