A wild monitor lizard grappled with an animal rescue team after being caught in a family’s home in Thailand.

The aggressive reptile rampaged through the yard before the rescue volunteers arrived to evacuate it in Saraburi province on July 15.

As the team approached the animal, it ran into the corner of the garden where there was a bush to conceal itself with and tried hitting the men with its tail.

The lizard refused to be caught and ran across the neighbourhood to escape while trying to enter some of the houses along the way.

Resident Somchai Kongyai, 68, said: ‘I had to block our door to stop the animal from entering. It was bloated so it must have eaten something already but it still ran fast.

‘Some of our neighbours were also terrified of the huge lizard. It was very aggressive and tried hitting anyone with its tail.’

Three rescue volunteers chased the reptile until they were able to secure its neck with a noose at the back of a school garden.

The animal was unhurt as well as the residents and rescuers. It was then taken by the rescuers and released into the wild.