Delicate rescue frees dragon from mesh fence
A local mum and her kids were walking to school one morning when one of the eagle-eyed youngsters spotted an Eastern Water Dragon caught in a mesh fence.
The mum immediately called the WILVOS hotline on 07 5441 6200, and volunteer WILVOS rescuers and experienced reptile handlers Shanna and Nathan attended.
The small dragon had climbed halfway through a gap in the mesh but was unable to pull its back legs through.
The location was challenging, as the fence was on a steep slope beneath a building and a thick growth of lantana prevented access from the opposite side where the lizard’s head was.
The rescuers decided that the safest way to extract the lizard was to cut out a small section of fence around it. Shanna held its legs and tail out of the way while Nathan carefully used bolt cutters to cut the mesh - the fence was repaired as good as new.
Once back on level ground, they were able to safely remove the rest of the fencing from the dragon’s body and assess its condition.
The dragon had likely been caught for some days but, fortunately, it wasn’t too worse for wear following its ordeal.
A check by the vet team at RSPCA Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Eumundi found that it was suffering dehydration and some minor abrasions around the back legs where it had tried to free itself, but after a few days in the hospital it was fighting fit and ready to return to the wild.
Thanks to the sharp eyes and quick response from the mum and her kids, this dragon will hopefully live out the rest of its days happily in the forest near the school – well away from risky fences!