A large invasive Asian water monitor on the loose in the Florida Keys for the last year has been captured, wildlife officials said Thursday.
The 20-pound lizard was caught and removed from the wild to prevent the establishment of the nonnative species, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
Crews set traps for the past year, attempting to catch the 5-foot reptile. But the large lizard eluded capture. Sighting of it were first reported to wildlife officials in October 2017.
"This capture would not have been possible without the vigilant individual who reported the monitor," wildlife officials said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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