A monitor lizard was rescued by volunteers when it was found stuck in the grates of a drain in Thailand.

Footage shows the local reptile catchers pulling the lizard out of the drain after dousing it with oil.

Residents in the neighbourhood in Samut Prakan notified the crew when they saw the hapless animal sticking out of the narrow opening on January.

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.