An injured monitor lizard was rescued after being mauled by stray dogs in Thailand.

The beast had emerged from a pond before being attacked by the pack of mutts in Nakhon Ratchasima, on April 29.

Supat Krobklang, an officer at the Veterinary Biologics Assay and Research Center, said he heard the dogs snarling and found them trying to sink their fangs into the reptile.

He chased the strays away before prodding the monitor lizard, guiding it back into its natural habitat.

He said: 'At first, I tried to catch it and put it inside a sack, but it was difficult to do alone. I settled for using a pole to drive it away. It had wounds at the base of its tail, but it was not too seriously injured.'

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.