Residents in the southern resort city of Pyatigorsk stumbled upon an "aggressive" meter-long iguana apparently waiting at a tram stop Tuesday, prompting a scare when the reptile charged at a team of rescuers who had been dispatched to catch it.
"It responds to the name Grisha, and it behaves very aggressively: opening its jaws threateningly, lunging at rescuers and even scaring a labrador puppy," a spokesperson for the city's administration was cited as saying by Interfax.
The reptile was apprehended and given its own room in the administration building, where staff turned on the heating to warm up the creature and fed it vegetables, the spokesperson told Interfax.
So far, no one has come forward to claim the iguana, but rescuers have their suspicions that Grisha is the same reptile they were called to rescue from a tree two years ago, the report said.
It was unclear whether the presumed young Grisha was also aggressive.
Rescuers have agreed to look after the iguana for three days, after which he will be given to the local zoo if no one comes forward to claim him.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.