Bathroom scales: Man, 49, is left terrified after discovering a seven-inch GECKO hiding in the toilet at home
- Andy Brown, 49, was shocked to find a gargoyle gecko in his downstairs toilet
- Wife Elaine, 48, called friend who has a bearded dragon to help save the reptile
- Took it to a pet store near their home in Keynsham, Somerset, and it is doing well
A man has been left with a phobia of his downstairs toilet after he found a seven-inch gecko in the bowl.
Andy Brown, 49, discovered the loo was occupied when he lifted the lid at his home in Keynsham, Somerset, to find the reptile inside it early on Tuesday morning.
The father-of-two was startled by the unusual discovery and ran upstairs to tell his wife, Elaine, 48.
Andy Brown, 49, from Keynsham, Somerset, was shocked to find a gargoyle gecko in his downstairs toilet when he woke up on Tuesday morning
Unsure as to what the creature was, the couple called the RSPCA but were not able to get a hold of the organisation as the lines were closed due to coronavirus.
They struck upon the idea of calling in a friend who owns a bearded dragon who was able to identify the unexpected lodger as a gecko and carry out the rescue mission within minutes.
The reptile was quickly scooped up out of the ‘lizard loo’ bowl and taken to a pet store where it was given a check-up and is now doing well.
But Mr Brown has been left with a phobia of the downstairs loo, leaving Mrs Brown with it all to herself.
She said: ‘Andy’s got a particular fear of that toilet now – my two daughters won’t use it either.
‘I don’t care. The likelihood of it happening again is so small. I’d like to call it the ‘Lizard Loo’ and stick a picture on the door.’
Originally from New Caledonia, a collection of islands in the South Pacific, gargoyle geckos are a popular pet for British lizard lovers but it is currently unclear how it ended up in the toilet.
The couple weren’t sure what to do with the reptile and resorted to calling their friend who owns a bearded dragon to help them rescue it
Mrs Brown, who was half asleep when her husband woke up, thought the toilet had been blocked again when he told her not to use the downstairs toilet.
She said she thought was she still asleep when he explained the bizarre situation and quietly crept in to take a look.
‘I didn’t want to disturb it. I popped up the lid and there it was. I didn’t even cross my mind that it could have been dangerous when I went in,’ she said.
Mrs Brown added: ‘It didn’t move because it was cold. We were worried it might get frightened and stuck down there and die.
‘Our friend took it home and tried to warm it up a bit. He then took it to the reptile store. They said it was healthy and a girl. He rang back later and they said it was doing well.
‘It was all a bit mad, really. A lot of people didn’t believe me – they thought I was pulling their leg.’