Latest news with #SamutPrakan
The Independent
16-05-2025
- The Independent
Horror as monitor lizard found eating abandoned newborn
A monitor lizard was seen eating the remains of a newborn child in Thailand, sending shockwaves across the Samut Prakan province. People in Bang Phli district, about 40km from Bangkok, reported the incident to the local police after discovering the lizard devouring the remains of the baby on Tuesday afternoon. Rescue workers from the charity Ruamkatanyu Foundation who were dispatched to the spot found the baby's upper body but not the lower half, Bangkok Post reported. The remains were found in the mouth of a 6.5ft-long lizard near a water body next to a row of rented houses occupied largely by migrant workers. The rescuer workers could only retrieve the baby's head as no other parts or clothing were found, according to local broadcaster PPTV36. The remains were sent to the Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute for further investigation to determine whether the baby had been born alive or stillborn. Rescue workers speculated that the baby was abandoned shortly after birth and found by the monitor lizard, according to the Bangkok Post. Monitor lizards typically live in canals, swamps, sewers, and ponds in Thailand 's urban areas and mostly feed on fish, snakes, frogs, and scraps of food left by humans. The reptiles are aggressive when threatened. They have a mildly venomous bite which sometimes carries harmful bacteria. Kittisak Phongphipat, one of the witnesses, told the Thai Examiner that he initially mistook the baby for a fish. 'I thought it was a fish washed up from the rain,' he said. 'Then I looked closer. It was a baby. I felt sick to my stomach because the baby had been torn to pieces by the animal.' Police said they were trying to trace the mother of the child who could face legal action if it was confirmed the newborn was alive when it was abandoned.
South China Morning Post
15-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Lizard found eating abandoned newborn horrifies Thailand: ‘sick to my stomach'
Police in Thailand are searching for the mother of a newborn baby whose body was partially eaten by a monitor lizard to determine if the infant was still alive when it was abandoned, in a case which has caused horror and outrage across the country. Local media reported that around noon on Tuesday, frightened residents of Samut Prakan, located roughly 25km (16 miles) south of Bangkok, witnessed the reptile devouring the remains of a baby and promptly contacted police. Kittisak Phongphipat, one of the first to witness the incident, told the Thai Examiner news website that he initially mistook the baby for something else. 'I thought it was a fish washed up from the rain,' he said. 'Then I looked closer. It was a baby. I felt sick to my stomach because the baby had been torn to pieces by the animal.' When police and rescue volunteer group Nakon45 arrived, they found the 2-metre (6.5-foot) reptile still gripping the lifeless body in its jaws. By then, the infant's head had already been detached from its body and was lying on the road.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Horror as monitor lizard is found devouring a newborn baby in Thailand
This is the horrifying moment a monitor lizard was found devouring a newborn baby in Thailand today. The seven-foot beast sparked alarm when it was seen scampering around the grassy wasteland with the infant's remains in its jaws. Paramedics and animal catchers arrived at the scene in Samut Prakan on the outskirts of Bangkok, where they found the killer reptile gnawing on the baby's body in the thick, tall grass. However, it fled under the concrete fence when they tried to catch it. Footage shows the Godzilla-like creature hiding in its swampy nook and feasting on the baby's dismembered lower half while officers recovered the head and torso nearby. Rescue volunteer Chaiwat Boonmee said: 'The monitor lizard had dragged the baby's body under a nearby house, making it difficult to recover the remaining parts. 'The rest of the body was handed over to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.' A resident who reported the gruesome discovery to police said he had initially mistaken the baby's remains for a fish. He said: 'At first, I thought the monitor lizard had caught a fish. But upon closer inspection, I saw that it was actually a baby's body and quickly called for help. 'I felt sick to my stomach because the baby had been torn to pieces by the animal.' Authorities believe the baby had been born around two days earlier before being killed and eaten alive by the ravenous reptile. Police said an investigation was underway to locate the child's parents for legal action. Under Thai law, abandonment of a child under nine years old is punishable with a prison term of up to three years, a fine of up to £135, or both. Monitor lizards are a common predator in Southeast Asian countries. However, they usually feed on fish or small snakes and rarely attack humans. Back in 2020, a newborn baby boy was eaten by monitor lizards after being dumped next to a pond. The infant was discovered by a group of boys who went to play by the waterside in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. One 10-year-old child reported the find to a security guard and told police he had smelled something strange then noticed a black bag next to the pond. Police officers and ambulance crew attended the scene and searched the waterside where the baby was found. They believe that the bite wounds on the infant's body were from monitor lizards, which live in the pond and normally eat fish and scraps of food from bins.
