A monitor lizard strayed into a village near Coimbatore in South India on January 21.

Pushparaj, who works as a mechanic, spotted the intruder and caught it promptly. As people gathered around with cameras, he posed for them holding the animal by its tail.

He then tied the lizard to a pole with the help of a friend and called the forest officials, who came and rescued the animal. The lizard was later released at a nearby forest.

Eyewitnesses lauded Pushparaj for his bravery, but experts may disagree. Indian monitor lizards are non-venomous. They feed on eggs, frogs, rodents and snakes and are harmless to humans.

“He would have handled the lizard better if he was aware about the animal,” said Subhendu Mallik, Honorary Wildlife Warden.