VIDEO: Rescuing a monitor lizard with its head stuck in a can

On a deserted island in Thailand covered in litter, my friend and I found this poor lizard that had gotten its head stuck in an empty can of mackerel in tomato sauce. We had kayaked out to the island for some spearfishing, and after a couple hours in the water, we came in to the beach to make a fire and grill up some of our catch. As we were eating we heard a loud rustling sound back in the jungle and we joked that it must be the smoke monster from the TV show Lost. As we were finishing up we saw the monitor lizard wander out of the trees onto the beach, and we set about helping to get it free.

I was worried it would scratch me so I didn't want to grab it, but the can was wedged on pretty good. Eventually, I pinned it down with a life jacket and we were able to get the can off. I cut together this quick video for the Thailand travel page I run. Yes, there's a bit of shameless self-promotion in making the video. We do have a decent sized Thai following though, so I can justify it by hoping it will help show people the real consequences of littering. Thanks for watching!