A SNAKE handler was called by panicking residents to come and remove what appeared to have been a large snake or dragon in Bloemfontein yesterday.
However, reptile expert Harry Baloyi, also known as Slangman, found it was not a snake but a lizard.
Harry peeped under the car, a maroon VW Polo TSI, using his snake-catching stick.
But he realised after seeing the tail he would need his glove, not the stick.
He then gently pulled the reptile out by its tail, to the screams of panicked bystanders.
Harry, who works as conservationist in Mangaung, said he received a call about a dragon or crocodile stuck underneath a car.
“But it was actually a rock monitor lizard. It’s not poisonous but has sharp teeth. It was trying to hide for its safety,” he said.
Harry urged residents not to kill reptiles, including snakes, when they see them.
“They can call me at 073 030 4629 at any time and I will come and help them remove any reptile,” he said.
A video of the rescue, recorded by Michelle Riedel, went viral following the incident in the Westdene suburb.
In the three-minute long video, people are seen peeping under the car, which had its bonnet open.
However, no one was brave enough to get close to the reptile.
Sello Metsing (24) from Brandwag said he thought he was seeing a python when he saw the tail.
“I ran for my life.
“I have seen videos of huge snakes in car engines and thought this was one of those incidents.
“I later went back and saw the reptile handler pulling out a huge lizard.
“It was still scary though,” said Sello.