Friendly monitor lizard swims on beach in Thailand

Friendly monitor lizard swims on beach in Thailand

A friendly monitor lizard was spotted swimming on a beach in southern Thailand.

Footage shows the 6ft-long reptile crawling on white sand before venturing into the water to swim in Mu Koh Hong, Krabi province on May 10.

Than Bok Khorani National Park has been closed to tourists due to travel restrictions and Covid-19 rules, which has allowed wild animals to return to the arad.

Aside from the monitor lizards, a group of long black ear shark fish were also seen swimming around the island during the absence of buzzing tourists.

Mu Koh Hong officer Jumpen Phompakdee said the pandemic turned the beautiful beach into a sanctuary for animals again.

He said: ‘The park was closed due to Covid-19 safety concerns.

However, the closure turned our island into a tranquil place for the animals.’ The park had no definite reopening dates yet as the province still battled to curb their Covid-19 cases which experienced a surge.

Thailand recorded 1,983 new Covid-19 cases today (May 12) and 34 deaths, taking the total number of infections recording since the pandemic began to 88,907 with 486 dead.