A terrified monitor lizard clung to the top of an electricity post to escape from ferocious guard dogs.
The reptile was prowling around a house when the mutts spotted it among flower pots in Bangkok, Thailand on January 25.
Pichaya Srisamai, 65, said her two dogs started barking aggressively and the startle lizard fled. It darted out of the bushes and clambered up the 20ft-high pole to save itself from the Aspin dogs.
The pensioner said: ‘The lizard was so scared it looked for a way to escape. It would never have been able to outrun my dogs so climbing was a clever decision.’
The lizard began mounting the plants until it reached the fence before slowly making its way to the top of the pole.
The house owner secured her dogs and called the animal rescuers for help as the reptile appeared to have difficulties balancing on the narrow pole.
When the rescuers arrived, they tried to tame the lizard and nicknamed it ‘Ball.’
One of the rescuers was heard shouting at the animal: ‘Ball, your wife has forgiven you, please come down now.’
After almost an hour, the reptile still refused to leave the pole so they lightly poked its stomach with a bamboo stick.
It tried to push the stick away with its legs but eventually descended into the bushes below.
The rescue team took the lizard with them to release into the wild after the house owner thanked them.
Excited neighbours then rushed to buy lottery tickets using the house number as local superstition suggests that animal encounters are lucky.