Lizard love: Homeowner’s bold move saves backyard buddy

A New South Wales homeowner has taken drastic measures to protect a blue-tongue lizard living under her patio, after selling her property to a developer.

The woman, who has lived on the family property in NSW’s Sutherland Shire for the past 10 years, became friends with the reptile who moved in under her backyard patio, and occasionally emerged to bask in the sun.

However, after selling the lot to a developer, she began to fret about the welfare of her mate and called local snake wrangler Tyler Gibbons to relocate the reptile earlier this month. Despite several attempts, the elusive creature remained hidden.

The homeowner’s anxiety peaked when the settlement date was unexpectedly advanced, leaving her with little time to act.

In a bold move, she spray-painted a message on her garage, alerting incoming construction workers to the lizard’s presence, complete with an arrow indicating its likely location and Gibbons’ contact number who has shared the heartwarming story on his facebook page.

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A woman spray painted a desperate message to tradies on her garage before her home was demolished. Source: Shire Snake Wranglers

Blue tongue lizard are commonly seen in the area.

“A few weeks ago, we got a call from a lovely lady who was preparing to hand over her family home to a developer for a duplex build. She had lived there for years and had grown quite fond of a blue tongue lizard that regularly visited her backyard,” the facebook post read.

“With demolition day fast approaching and the lizard still unaccounted for, she asked us to come out and help relocate it. We searched high and low – under the slab, in garden beds, and around the entire yard – but couldn’t find it.

“When it came time to hand over the keys, she made sure the new owners didn’t miss the message… and gave them some very clear instructions.

“We visited the site again this week and had a chat with the crew. They told us they took extra care removing the slab, just in case the lizard was still hiding underneath. Thankfully, it looks like it had already moved on—possibly spooked off by the vibrations of the excavator.

A great outcome for a caring local who just wanted to make sure her backyard friend stayed safe.”

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Shire Snake Wranglers regularly share stories of their work on social media.

The post has amassed over 1300 likes and doesn’t of comments from followers applauding both the owner and the tradies’ kind act.

“We need more people like this, what a lovely lady,” one follower wrote.

Another wrote: “Thank you to this beautiful soul for caring to go to this extent to ensure the little one was safe. And thank you for coming out to see the crew,” while a third replied: “I love this that she tried to make sure nothing happened to the lizard they are such beautiful creatures.”

The post Lizard love: Homeowner’s bold move saves backyard buddy appeared first on realestate.com.au.