Reptile handlers snared a massive monitor lizard that was climbing the gate of a family's home to escape.

Footage shows the volunteers cornering the 4ft reptile that tried to flee by going over the fence before pulling it by its tail and wrapping its head in a sack in Phitsanulok, Thailand.

The furious animal tried to attack one of the team members but it could not lunge towards him as he held its rear end.

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.