Animal handlers spent 30 minutes removing a monitor lizard stuck on a gate in Thailand before it was rushed to veterinarians who patched up its wound.

The creature has since been recovering at the Huay Prue Animal Center and is due to be released back into the wild.

“The lizard was leaking a lot of blood, but it received treatment and was stabilized,” rescue officer Surachai Uthaiwat said. “He will be released back to nature. This situation is unusual so it should not happen again.”

This hapless lizard had to be saved after trying to climb inside a house - and getting impaled on metal gate spikes.

The 6ft long Asian water monitor clambered up the garage fence in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand, last month on May 15.

But the reptile appeared to have slipped after reaching the peak - painfully spearing itself through one of the 30cm long spikes on the rolling barrier.

Homeowner Top Nattawut, 35, returned home to the bizarre scene and called the police who arrived moments later with a team of rescuers.

Footage shows the 40kg lizard being carefully lifted off the spike which had penetrated its whole body and came out through its back.

Top, a mechanic, said: ''The spikes on the gate are to stop people climbing in. I didn't think a lizard would injure itself on them.

''I'm glad he could be rescued though. I felt sorry for him when I came home and saw him. I called the police immediately.''

Animal handlers spent 30 minutes removing the stranded lizard before it was rushed to vets who patched up his wound.

The creature has since been recovering at the Huay Prue Animal Center and is due to be released back into the wild.

Rescue Officer Surachai Uthaiwat said: ''The lizard was leaking a lot of blood but it received treatment and was stabilised. He will be released back to nature. This situation is unusual so it should not happen again.''