A monitor lizard was caught twice by rescuers when it hid in a car engine and then scurried back to the shop.

Footage shows the 4ft-long reptile being extracted from the sedan before it slipped off the volunteer's grip in Ranong, Thailand on May 15.

It then had to be searched and removed from under one of the vehicles when it fled to the establishment.

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.