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Bangkok, nine o’clock in the morning. The tropical heat is slowly settling over Thailand’s capital like a damp towel.
The last sweaty joggers and tai chi practitioners are just leaving Lumphini Park – the green lungs of the metropolis. Suddenly, a tourist’s scream slices through the calm atmosphere.
With eyes widened in fear, he stares at a creature that looks as if it has stepped straight out of prehistoric times.
A two-metre-long (6½ foot) lizard known as an Asian water monitor is slowly moving across the asphalt and repeatedly flicking out its forked, dark tongue.
Unimpressed by the horror of the Chinese holidaymaker, it marches towards a lake dotted with yellow pedal boats – and glides smoothly into the water.
Tourists immediately start pedalling and approach with curiosity as the animal swims elegantly through the murky green lake with its tail flattened at the side.

Monitor lizards have populated the planet for many millions of years. It is estimated that thousands of specimens of the species live in Bangkok’s canals, called khlongs, and there are probably hundreds in Lumphini Park alone.
“The population is much more dense in areas around Bangkok than anyone will find in the wild,” explains reptile expert Michael Cota from Thailand’s National Science Museum, a German-American who is also involved in the international Species Survival Commission’s specialist group for monitor lizards.
Their dense population is due to the large food supply.
“Especially in Lumphini Park – people feed the fish, resulting in an overpopulation in fish, which allows the monitor lizards there to feed much more than in any wild area.”
As meat-eaters and scavengers, the lizards feel right at home among civilisation’s discarded items, nosing around plastic bottles and rubbish for edible waste early in the morning. For those not accustomed to the sight, there is little cause for alarm; unlike the Komodo dragon, these lizards do not possess a venomous, potentially fatal bite.

In 2016, the authorities took action because of the oversized population. Joggers and cyclists had repeatedly complained about the lizards suddenly crossing their paths.
The authorities decided to relocate some of the monitor lizards from the park to a reserve outside the city. The measure made international headlines because the harmless lizards have long been an attraction.
However, the action backfired: the relocation was not coordinated with experts who were familiar with banded monitor lizards, Cota says.
“The captures were made after all of the monitor lizards had laid their eggs.”
In addition, the largest specimens in particular were removed.
“Since larger monitors eat smaller ones when they can, the hatchlings had few predators,” Cota says. As a result, the park is now firmly back in scaly hands.

Most international tourists are fascinated by the animals not only because of their size, but also because people can get so close to them.
There are only occasional moments of shock when visitors are sitting in the grass and one of the semi-aquatic prehistoric lizards suddenly crawls by.
They are not to be confused with the world’s largest lizards in Indonesia: Komodo dragons are potentially life-threatening to humans due to their poisonous saliva, enormous biting power and sharp claws.
Though their bite is not deadly, the creatures of Bangkok have an almost cinematic presence.
“They kind of look like little Godzillas,” says Berlin resident Annika, who regularly goes on holiday to Thailand.
There is something majestic about the lizards and they move as if in slow motion, the 43-year-old says.
“When they suddenly dart into the water, you realise what enormous power they have.”
Meanwhile, tourists from around the world exchange practical tips in Thailand travel forums on when the best time to see the lizards is and where.
The consensus: early morning is ideal, though sightings are possible at almost any hour, especially on the bridges spanning the city’s canals.
Are they dangerous? Not particularly. Humans are not on their menu. If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. That said, monitor lizards have powerful bodies and sharp claws, and they deserve a healthy dose of respect.
“If the monitor lizard inflates its throat, it is warning you to move away,” Cota says.
Although they can sometimes be photographed at close range, they should never be touched.
Cota says the lizards are among the most intelligent of reptiles, with documented evidence of them being able to count and make mental maps of their territories.
Bangkok is one of the few places in the world where they can be observed at such close range. In the wilderness of Thailand, on the other hand, they are shy and difficult to spot.
In one Thailand travel advice forum, one user sums it up like this: “Watching them is oddly calming. No rush. No fear. Just survival perfected over millions of years.”
The giant lizards are neither fearsome creatures nor tame attractions – but resilient neighbours thriving in the urban jungle.


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How to see Bangkok’s famous monitor lizards up close and why you shouldn’t be scared

Monitor lizards are often drawn to the water, where they search for food, cool off or find shelter. In places like Thailand’s capital Bangkok, these impressive reptiles thrive in urban green spaces such as Lumphini Park and can be found in canals and waterways throughout the bustling city. Photo: dpa

A monitor lizard swims in Lumphini Park in Bangkok. Photo: dpa

A monitor lizard crawls across a path in Lumphini Park. Photo: dpa

A tourist takes a photo of a monitor lizard swimming in Lumphini Park. Photo: dpa

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Hundreds of Asian monitor lizards live in the Thai capital’s Lumphini Park and early morning is one of the best times to see them


Hundreds of Asian monitor lizards live in the Thai capital’s Lumphini Park and early morning is one of the best times to see them.


Asia travel

Bangkok

Thailand

Animals

How to see Bangkok’s famous monitor lizards up close and why you shouldn’t be scared

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hundreds of Asian monitor lizards live in the Thai capital’s Lumphini Park and early morning is one of the best times to see them

Hundreds of Asian monitor lizards live in the Thai capital’s Lumphini Park and early morning is one of the best times to see them