Chopper, a 4-foot crocodile monitor, takes a little walk

Animal Services Officer John Hergenreder holds Chopper, a 4-foot crocodile monitor found in a Riverside back yard. Photo and videos courtesy of Riverside County Animal Services

Menifee residents sometimes find uninvited visitors such as snakes, hawks, jackrabbits and even coyotes on their property, but it's unlikely any ever got a visit from the type of creature that stopped by the back yard of a Riverside resident this week.

A 5-pound, 4-foot crocodile monitor, which is native to New Guinea and is rarely seen in this area, was discovered sunning itself atop a hedge in the back yard of Christine and J. Craig Williams' yard in the Arlington South community of Riverside about 5 p.m. on Wednesday. They called 911 and Riverside County Animal Services Officer John Hergenreder captured the giant lizard with a lasso, according to a news release.

"It did not try to escape when I walked up to it, but it did start to hiss loudly," Hergenreder said. "It sensed I was coming to grab it."

The lizard spent a couple days in the Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley while officials posted the incident in the media, hoping to find an owner for the animal. Even though crocodile monitors are rarely kept as pets, they are legal to possess in California.

The lizard was reunited with its owner on Friday when DeWitt "Goldie" Vercher of Riverside showed up at the animal shelter to claim him. He told animal control officials the animal's name is Chopper and he is 4 years old.

Vercher said he appreciates the couple’s actions in getting his pet safely removed and transported to the shelter.

"A friend of mine texted me and asked, ‘Did Chopper get out?'" Vercher said. "My stomach and everything just dropped."

Vercher said Chopper escaped through a "soft spot" in a large pen in which he has kept. The enclosure is 14 feet long, 9 feet wide and 8 feet high and Chopper can use a shed as a sauna. There is also a pond. Thanks to a contractor's work in reinforcing the enclosure on Friday, such an escape "will never, ever happen again," said Vercher.

"He is a healthy eater. I take care of him very well," said Vercher who feeds Chopper gets two "jumbo rats" on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The Williams suspect that Chopper may have been in their yard a few days. A bird was attacked earlier in the week, and the dogs were "going nuts" until the couple discovered Chopper atop the hedge.

"Crocodile monitors are not usually kept as pets by private individuals," said Kim McWhorter, a reptile expert at Riverside County Animal Services. "They need specialized care, mostly due to the large size they can reach. An owner would need a custom-built, room-sized enclosure."

To view a video of Chopper's care at the animal shelter before his owner claimed him, click here. For a second video showing Chopper being reunited with his owner, click here.