This is the bizarre moment a rescue worker caught a monitor lizard - then rode away with it slung over his shoulder.

The man, named Jansak Nilsukhum, caught the reptile in a house in Saraburi, central Thailand on June 24.

Fearing that the beast was injured, Jansak decided it needed to be taken to the nearest vets for a checkup.

Footage shows the eccentric volunteer with the monitor lizard’s hands and feet tied up as he carries it like a bag on his shoulder.

With no car available, he had to ride away on his motorcycle with the lizard under his arm to the astonishment of passing drivers.

Speaking after, Jansak said: ''It wasn’t safe to let the lizard go because there are too many houses. I had to drive away with him to see a doctor. He looked like it was hurt.''

The monitor lizard was checked over and after being declared healthy, released back into the wild at a nearby stream.