A massive monitor lizard measuring 8ft from its head to the tip of its tail was removed from under a car in Thailand.

The hulking reptile sparked panic when it crawled under a driver's Toyota Vios parked at a shopping mall in Samut Prakan province on December 27.

As the animal refused to leave, the desperate driver called a local wildlife rescue team for help.

Footage shows the specialists surrounding the Toyota Vios to cut off the lizard's escape routes. They then prodded it with a pole before dragiing it into the open by the tail.

The aggressive beast was seen baring its teeth angrily. Rescuers covered its head with a cloth to keep it from snapping at them.

After a grueling hour, the team finally managed to subdue the lizard, which they hauled onto the back of their truck to free into its natural habitat.

The team urged locals to call experts to deal with monitor lizards and snakes instead of tackling the animals themselves.

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.