A man was found in a pool of blood after being attacked by a giant lizard while trying to catch it.
The semi-conscious victim with blood stains all over his clothes and lower legs was found lying on the ground.
Witnesses said they spotted the young man trying to catch the monitor lizard near a Shell petrol station.
READ MORE: Fisherman attacked by shark while diving for oysters
Although no one saw the attack, the victim was found on the ground minutes later after apparently losing a lot of blood.
The aggressive lizard, also known as the Komodo monitor, apparently attacked the man and caused his injuries, according to local reports.
The large reptile was nowhere to be seen after the alleged mauling.
The young man was taken to the Penang General Hospital in Penang, Malaysia, at around 11.30pm on Monday (29 Apr).
He is said to be in a stable condition, as reported by Need to Know.
It’s unclear if he came across the endangered animal on the street or whether he was illegally trafficking it.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Penang is home to two species of monitor lizards, the clouded monitor and the Asian water monitor lizard.
Both are smaller cousins of the aggressive Komodo dragon, the largest extant species of lizard.
Komodos are also found on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang.
READ MORE: Horror as Brit tourist, 72, attacked by bear while taking selfies in car
