Once Despised In Thai Culture, Water Monitors Now The Rising Stars Of Lumpini Park In Bangkok
Shortly after dawn, Lumphini Park comes alive. Bangkok residents descend on the sprawling green oasis in the middle of the city, eager to squeeze in a workout before the heat of the day takes hold. Joggers trot along curving paths. Old men struggle under barbells at the outdoor gym. Spandex-clad women stretch into yoga poses on the grass. Just metres away, one of the park’s more infamous occupants strikes its own lizard pose. About 400 Asian water monitor lizards call Lumphini Park home, and this morning they are out in full force – scrambling up palm trees, swimming through the waterways and wrestling on the road.
Every now and then, a scaly interloper veers in front of a runner, oblivious to the morning stampede. “The big ones are usually fine because they move quite slowly and you can kind of hop over,” says Jayla Chintanaroj, a Bangkok resident who often runs in the park. “But the small ones can be quite fast. There have been a few times I’ve almost tripped over one.”
The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) is the world’s second-largest species of lizard, reaching lengths of about two metres (7ft). It can be found in rivers, lakes and swamps across south-east Asia and into India and China. Increasingly, however, the dark brown lizard can be spotted in urban areas, joining an exclusive league of animals that have carved out a stronghold in cities.
As the urban lizard population explodes, authorities are receiving more calls about conflicts: lizards intruding upon popular fishing spots, raiding livestock, and even crawling into people’s homes. Yet, at the same time, the water monitor lizard – once derided in Thai culture – has never been so popular, buoyed up by social media. JX Ang lives close to the park, and says he has become a fan of his scaly neighbours. “It’s actually really nice to see them when you’re going about your day and then suddenly you see a nice little Godzilla swimming through the water,” he says. Ang fondly recalls a time he witnessed more than 10 lizards leisurely soaking in a park fountain on a hot day. “It was like a massive lizard onsen Jacuzzi. It was awesome.”
EDIT
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/15/little-godzilla-bangkok-reckons-with-its-giant-lizard-boom-aoe