Iguana jumps on firefighter's head to escape Corby blaze
Northants Fire and RescueAn iguana escaped from a house fire by jumping on to a firefighter's helmet.
The athletic reptile's survival instinct kicked in when fire broke out at its owner's home in Whitworth Avenue, Corby, on Wednesday night.
As crews battled the flames, the iguana leapt to the safety of a firefighter's head, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said.
A spokeswoman said the crew member did not realise it was there, and the pet was carried away unscathed.
It was "a very unique incident - one that we have never dealt with before", she said.
"The fireman... didn't realise the iguana had climbed on top of him at first as he initially thought it was a colleague touching his helmet.
"What a surprise he then had to find this iguana chilling on his head, eager to escape the burning building."
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Iguana fact file
- Iguanas are native to Central and South America and are tropical, arboreal lizards
- They can grow up to six feet (1.8m) in length and are herbivorous, feeding on jungle leaves, fruits and flowers in the wild
- Young iguanas need daily feeding whilst large adult iguanas may only feed two to three times a week on a diet consisting of, among other things, dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, melon and bananas
- A mature iguana can weigh as much as 15lbs (6.8kg) and the reptiles can be difficult to handle as they have razor-sharp teeth, claws and a lashing tail
- The athleticism of the iguana came to the attention of the world when a hatchling marine iguana was filmed narrowly escaping racer snakes in the BBC's Planet Earth II - the film won a Bafta award
Source: www.reptileexpert.co.uk
Posting a photograph of the iguana and firefighter on Twitter, the crew wrote: "One of [the] occupants couldn't wait to be rescued and jumped to safety to hitch a ride out!!"
The blaze, which took hold at about 23:40 GMT, was caused by "a faulty reptile heated mat in the living room", Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service concluded.
While there was some damage to the living room, the iguana was unhurt and there were no other injuries.
