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A huge monitor lizard was caught after crawling into a car engine to escape the blistering heat in Thailand.

The 4ft long reptile was seen by a security guard scurrying across the car park in Pathum Thani, central Thailand last Sunday (17/05) afternoon.

It darted under the vehicle to find some shade as temperatures outside passed 35C.

However, when the driver Anong Chanthajorn, 51, returned to his car to drive home he was alarmed by the scratching around from inside the engine.