This is the terrifying moment a wild monitor lizard was plucked from a family's toilet bowl in Thailand.

The juvenile reptile was seen poking its head out of the water as it made splashing sounds in the bathroom in Pathum Thani, Thailand on October 19.

Footage shows the baby lizard's head being pinned with a rod by a rescuer who safely dragged it out.

It fought off the reptile handler, refusing to come out so the volunteer had to use bare hands to remove the 3ft critter from the bowl.

House owner Bangorn, 64, said: 'I told my daughter to close the door with my son and I called the rescue team for help. Even though the lizard was small, it was aggressive.

Bangorn added her daughter was the one who saw the animal first when she checked what happened when their two cats dashed out of the room in a hurry.

Bangorn said: 'They were all so terrified. We thank the rescuers for their prompt response.'

Rescuer Montien Nakprasert used a hook to snare the lizard and evacuated the reptile from the property. It was released back into its habitat the next day.

Montien also made a trap in the pip to prevent lizards from entering through the opening.

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.