A RARE lizard was being cared for at an animal centre in Somerset after it was brought back to the county by an unsuspecting holidaymaker – and put through the washing machine!

Sue Banwell-Moore, from Churchinford, returned from holiday in the Cape Verde islands off Africa’s west coast and discovered the rare Chioninia beast in her second batch of washing.

She said: “I found him after I had done my second lot of washing.

I did a hotter wash first and then a wash on a short, cool cycle for the

delicates.

“I hung up my washing and turned around, looked down and he was on the floor. I screamed and I went back to check it and although it was so cold, it had moved, so I screamed again.

“I kept the heating on all night, gave it some water and it got livelier and livelier.

"I decided to call it Larry.”

Larry was cared for at Tropiquaria, near Watchet, where Chris Moiser was the park

director.

He said: “The lady said she thought the lizard had been through the wash and I was concerned he had swallowed some detergen but it’s looking better every day.

“He was immobile for a start and I thought I’d be putting it in the freezer the next day, but the next morning it was looking quite a bit better.

"It only lives on the Cape Verde islands and when I realised how unique it was I was keen to keep it.

“There are no others like it in the UK.”