Police catch ‘large reptile’ in Ohio man’s backyard

[In the player above, watch previous FOX 8 News coverage on the search for missing peacocks in Willoughby in February 2024.]

WILLOUGHBY , Ohio (WJW) — Willoughby police on Thursday got their hands on a cold-blooded suspect, believed to be an escapee.

They’re calling him Norman. But they’re not quite sure how to classify him, so they’re going with “large reptile.”

The mottled dark green and yellow creature, which appears to be several feet long, was found in a local man’s backyard, according to a Thursday Facebook post . They did not say where Norman was found, to protect the resident’s privacy.

“We can’t make this stuff up. I never thought we would top the peacocks,” the post reads, referring to four peacocks that got loose in the city in February . “Since this was a new one for us, we had to make several phone calls. We wanted to make sure Norman was handled properly and cared for.”

Police had lots of help in Norman’s capture and care, including from: Ohio Department of Natural Resources wildlife officer Ryan Pawlus; Cleveland Metroparks Zoo; Dr. Dennis Summers of the Ohio Department of Agriculture; the vaguely named “Matt the reptile guy”; and the Herps Alive Foundation , a South Euclid-based nonprofit rescue for reptiles and amphibians, known as herpetofauna.

Police said Norman’s owner should contact Herps Alive to be reunited. The foundation can be reached at 216-374-1392.

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