Immigration officers at Heathrow deal with a wide variety of visitors and immigrants but when a suspected “illegal immigrant” of the Bengal variety scurried around the busy airport last week, it caused some consternation and much amusement. The visitor was a juvenile monitor lizard (Varanus Bengalensis) found mostly in the Indian subcontinent. It was seen on the loose around Terminal 4’s baggage area, before being seized by the Border Force’s specialist team dealing with endangered species. “It is believed to be a Bengal variety of monitor lizard,” the force said. Juveniles are usually fed on a diet of crickets, the Border Force said.

Source: Hindustan Times January 23, 2018 11:26 UTC