RSPCA officers who were called to rescue a lizard from under a bed were left stunned after discovering the reptile was actually – a dirty SOCK.
The animal charity was called to a house by a “terrified” family who thought a dangerous creature had got into their teenage daughter’s bedroom.
But when animal collection officers arrived at the property in Coventry at 6.40pm last Friday (8/9) they were left baffled to discover the intruder was a pink stripey sock.
RSPCA officer Vic Hurr said she approached the lizard with caution not knowing whether it was a dangerous breed.
But when she shone her torch around the room she soon found a sock poking up from the edge of the bed before breaking the news to the “mortified” family.
Vic said: “It was around seven inches long and about two inches wide.
“It was protruding from the edge of the bed and it wasn’t moving at all.
“As it wasn’t very light, I got out my torch to see better and that’s when I realised it wasn’t a lizard at all – it was a pink stripey sock.
“I advised the young girl whose bedroom it was to tidy her room and to take care of her socks, but not before reminding her that another one will turn up soon as they are usually in pairs”
A RSPCA spokeswoman added: “It was definitely one of our more unusual call outs.
“The family called us in a bit of a panic, they were terrified a lizard had got into their house.
“It was obviously dark in the room and I think fear just set in. But they said it had been there for about a week and hadn’t moved in that time.
“Our animal collection officer approached with caution, as we would do with any reptile, not knowing whether it was a dangerous breed or not.
“When she found out it was a pink stripey sock, the family were mortified.
“Vic said she couldn’t stop laughing once she got back into the car and I think the family eventually saw the funny side too.
“The sock had obviously been there quite a while. It was a typical teenager’s bedroom, I suppose.”
