Wildlife officials have finally captured a large invasive Asian water monitor that had been running loose in the Florida Keys for more than a year.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officials posted pictures on Facebook with the caption: "Elusive lizard captured!"
The lizard was more than 5 feet (1.52 meters) long and weighed 20 pounds (9 kilograms).
Crews of staff members and volunteers had been setting traps and searching for the lizard fore more than a year, FWC said. Once it was caught, the lizard was removed from the wild. Wildlife officials say this helps prevent the establishment of a new nonnative species.
Wildlife officers advise people to snap pictures if they see nonnative wildlife and report it to the agency.
Copyright The Associated Press