"Bangkok residents descend on the sprawling green oasis in the middle of the city, eager to squeeze in a workout before the heat of the day takes hold. Joggers trot along curving paths. Old men struggle under barbells at the outdoor gym. Spandex-clad women stretch into yoga poses on the grass. Just metres away, one of the park's more infamous occupants strikes its own lizard pose."
"The big ones are usually fine because they move quite slowly and you can kind of hop over, says Jayla Chintanaroj, a Bangkok resident who often runs in the park. But the small ones can be quite fast. There have been a few times I've almost tripped over one. Asian water monitor lizards the world's second-largest lizard have adapted to city living in Bangkok's Lumphini Park."
Lumphini Park fills with exercise activity at dawn while roughly 400 Asian water monitor lizards move through the green spaces. Monitors scramble up palm trees, swim through waterways and sometimes cross paths with runners and other park users. Large monitors can reach about two metres in length and inhabit rivers, lakes and swamps across south-east Asia, India and China. Smaller individuals can move quickly and occasionally startle people. Urban adaptation has led to increased reports of conflicts such as raids on livestock, intrusions into fishing spots and even entries into homes, while social media has boosted public interest.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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