An escaped pet crocodile sparked panic after rampaging into a garage and hiding under a car.

Jit Pumchai, 60, was about to drive to the market when he saw the reptile's tail underneath in Ranong, southern Thailand, on November 20.

His dog was barking loudly at something under the car and the old man thought it was just a lost monitor lizard so he leaned down to scare it away.

However, he was shocked when he saw that it was a three metre-long crocodile with its mouth wide open.

He said: ''I was preparing to leave for the market but then I heard my dog angrily barking at something. When I looked at the creature I saw a reptile but thought it was a monitor lizard.

''Then I approached it and tried to scare it away but then I saw it was bigger. It did not have a tongue sticking out so I realised that it was a crocodile.''

Jit immediately went back inside the house with the dog and called the emergency services for help.

While waiting for the rescuers, six residents watched over the reptile from a safe distance in case it attempts to escape again.

The professional animal handlers arrived and found the crocodile still hiding under the car.

They threw a piece of cloth over its head to block its vision before using a rod to catch it and tied its legs with a rope.

The reptile will be taken care of at the animal rescuer's office until the police find its owner.

There are no crocodile habitats nearby so it was believed to have escaped a delivery truck or an enclosure.

Police Major General Pornsak Nuannu said they are now looking for the owner and verify if there has been neglect on their part which caused the reptile to escape.

He said: “We are pleased that the crocodile was caught before it could harm any residents. Now we are looking for its owner while the crocodile stays at the rescue office.”