Laundry rooms are typically places where we expect to find piles of dirty clothes, washing machines, and perhaps a stray sock or two.
Angie Preciado absentmindedly swung open the door to her laundry room one day, as she often does in her Arizona home, only to be startled by a loud hiss and the sight of a massive ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ darting away.
The Creature Was A Gila ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ
“I was so sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ. I backed off, nearly ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ up on top of my dryer,” the woman told The Dodo. “Luckily, it went opposite my direction and behind the laundry room basket.
Upon escaping my laundry room and closing the door with a broom to cover the cat entry back into my house, I called my husband and told him … ‘There’s a Gila ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ in the laundry room.'”
The creature was a Gila ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ, a ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs lizard native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Though Gila ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs are generally shy and reclusive, they are known for their ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ and tendency to ʙɪᴛᴇ when ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ.
These creatures are typically slow-moving and prefer to mind their own business.
Nonetheless, discovering one in her laundry room was an incredible experience for Preciado.
Angie Was Calm And Did What Was Necessary To Ensure The Safety Of Herself And The Animal
“We just couldn’t find an explanation of how it got into the house or how long it was there,” the woman said. “We don’t know if he ‘traveled’ throughout my house before ending up there, either.”
At first, when Angie informed her husband about the uninvited guest in their laundry room, he was skeptical. However, upon returning home and lifting the laundry basket, he, too, caught a glimpse of the bewildered lizard.
Angie then contacted the non-ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ fire department to assist in returning the Gila ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ to its natural habitat, but their response mirrored her husband’s initial ᴅɪsʙᴇʟɪᴇꜰ.
“They then rescuers thought it would be something else, but they came anyways, and when the two gentlemen entered the laundry room and moved the basket, they were also surprised,” the woman said.
Stay Calm And Call For Help Is The Right Thing To Do!
Despite its ꜰᴇᴀʀsᴏᴍᴇ appearance, the Gila ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ was eventually ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ without incident and taken to a local wildlife sanctuary.
The woman was left sʜᴀᴋᴇɴ by her ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀ but grateful for the quick response of the animal control team.
In such a situation, staying calm and calling for help is essential. Local wildlife experts and animal control professionals are trained to handle these situations safely and effectively. With their assistance, you can ensure that you and the animal remain safe and unharmed.