Rescuers had an epic chase to catch two ferocious monitor lizards found hiding under a coffee shop.

The business owner called for help after noticing the two reptiles had been eating her fish in the pond outside her shop in Chachoengsao, central Thailand yesterday (22/05).

Animal handlers clambered under the building and tried to snare the reptiles which sparked chaotic scenes as they ran for their lives.

The shop owner said: ''I started to notice that my fish were disappeared one by one. So, I started to watch it carefully until I saw two huge monitor lizards came out from my shop and dived into the
pond.''

The two wild monitor lizards, each one between 7ft and 3ft long, were seen hiding in the 60cm tall gap in the basement of the building when eight rescuers arrived at the place.

Two officers slowly crawled into the basement trying to catch the creatures with the lasso but they immediately fled into a small hole.

The men had an epic hour long chase trying to catch the bigger lizard again, while the smaller lizard fled into the pond.

They eventually caught it in a neighbour's garden where it tried to scurry into the drainage system. But the smaller creature had already disappeared and could not be caught.

Filmer Arnon Boonterm said: ''The coffee shop owner was worried about having the smaller one living under the building. But she said she will call again if she sees it.''