A wild monitor lizard was caught rampaging through an apartment in Thailand.

The creature caused panic among tenants after it was heard clattering in the ceiling of a first-storey room of the building in Rayong province on September 26.

Apartment managers called a rescue team to catch the reptile before it could create more trouble.

When the volunteers arrived, they partially dismantled a few ceiling panels to drive the animal out of its hiding place.

It then leapt down into the corridor, where the specialists finally caught it using a snare pole. The operation reportedly took less than 20 minutes.

Footage shows rescuer Samrit Phutso pinning down the lizard and taping up its legs to prevent its escape.

He said: 'The residents heard noise from the ceiling and discovered the monitor lizard. We had to remove parts of the ceiling to catch it. We will free it into the wild later.'

Asian water monitor lizards normally live in canals, swamps, sewers and ponds in cities in Thailand. They feed on fish, snakes, frogs and scraps of food left by humans.

The reptiles are aggressive when threatened and have a mildly venomous bite which sometimes carries harmful bacteria. The Godzilla-like reptiles are also a protected species in the country so their population thrives.