Goose the wandering lizard makes a perp walk
The lizard, whose sex is undetermined, was spotted over several days at a spot along Southwest Main Street in Douglas State Forest, and his location was so consistent that authorities said they spray painted the spot on the road.
But each time Goose was approached he disappeared, until Saturday when they figured out he was scurrying under a root and hiding. An environmental police officer
said Monday that
he looked in the hole and 'there was a tongue sticking out at me.'
After resisting hard-boiled eggs, officers laid out a few pieces of chicken and were able to lasso Goose using two catch poles. They described the animal as being in good health, and mostly good spirits, but 'very strong' and stopped being well-behaved when they got the catch poles on it. Understandably.
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The owner of the lizard, who was not named at the press conference, will not face criminal charges, according to environmental police. The owner was cited for possession of the animal and issued a warning for a lack of an importation permit, authorities said, noting the animal had clearly been well cared for.
Police said the animal, which was estimated to be 5-8 years old, is one of many prized in the exotic animal trade, and that on the black market Goose could sell for $6,000 to $20,000.
What's next for Goose? A bit of nirvana, as he will be moved to his new home at the
Goose will be quarantined for six weeks, but officials from the sanctuary said they hope that eventually, if Goose is in the mood, he will be brought back to Webster for a viewing so that locals can see the lizard that has become a social media sensation these last two weeks.
When Mack Ralbovsky from Rainforest Reptiles brought Goose out at the press conference, which was broadcast on Facebook live, the handler held the perp securely in his hands and the lizard was a bit squirmy – like a restless baby. But Goose soon settled down and looked around the room for a while, occasionally flicking out his tongue at the assembled cameras.
A few minutes later, the black lizard was led away, and there was that strange pause from town and state officials at the podium where everyone kind of looked at each other like they couldn't believe this bizarre media moment and was over.
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'He's our unofficial mascot in Webster,' Police Chief Michael Shaw said. 'We're kind of sad to see him go.'
Billy Baker can be reached at
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