A chubby monitor lizard was rescued after it tried to squeeze through a steel gate and became stuck in the railings.

The Godzilla-like reptile had emerged from the tall grass near a warehouse in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand, but was lodged in the narrow gap of the gate when it tried to crawl through.

Passers-by were shocked to see the beast stuck halfway through the six-inch gap between the bars on June 11 afternoon and called animal handlers to liberate it.

The rescuers sought permission from the warehouse owner before using metal cutters to saw through the grates. They pried the metal loose and dragged the exhausted monitor lizard out with pole snares.

The 6ft-long creature was released after 20 minutes and doused with water to cool it down. It retreated into the woodland across the road.

Locals said the monitor lizard had been stuck for more than two hours. Other large monitors had been seen roaming the area, they said.

Onlooker Kittipat said: 'The lizard thought it could crawl through the gate but didn't realise how big its body was. His belly was so big.'

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.