Big Ass Lizards invade Palm Beach County, Wildlife Officals packing Shotguns

These carnivorous lizards are big enough to eat cats. And now shotgun-toting wildlife officers plan to kill as many Nile monitors as they can before breeding season.

The African reptiles, which can grow to 5 feet long, have established a breeding population along the C-51 canal and nearby waterways in central Palm Beach County, where they devour native wildlife.

Although state wildlife officials have been hunting them down for several years, they plan a new push now, since the approach of breeding season makes the lizards more active and easier to spot.

"We have found that the population hasn't spread very far from the C-51 Canal, and if we increase the pressure, we might be able to eradicate them," said Jenny Ketterlin Eckles, non-native wildlife biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

State officials will increase patrols from once a month to four to six times a month, immediately killing any monitors found. They will also distribute fliers asking the public to photograph and report any Nile monitors.

http://touch.sun-sentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83264912/