Lizard on the loose captivates Worcester County town, reptile hunters, as search continues

WEBSTER, Mass. — The search for “Goose” — a five-foot long water monitor lizard that escaped his Blueberry Lane home Friday — continues in Webster.

Police responded to the neighborhood Friday morning. They say the animal can be dangerous is cornered, and is poisonous but not lethal.

“I think Goose, if he’s not found, is going to become some urban legend here for time to come,” said police chief Michael Shaw. “We’re hopeful he pops his little head out somewhere.”

Shaw and the Webster Police department are no longer actively searching for the loose lizard. They are hoping someone is able to spot him and report it to authorities.

However, he asked people not to go looking for the animal.

Shaw explained, “We’ve had some calls. I think we had a call, I want to say from somebody in Brazil, offering to come up and try to find him.”

That call came from Jean-Paul LaPierre, a Weymouth man who was vacationing in Brazil with his family when he heard about the story.

“I totally disagree with them,” LaPierre told Boston 25 regarding Webster’s decision to stop the search. “I’ll find that in an hour! That’s all I need — one hour!”

LaPierre is a self-proclaimed reptile expert who grew a passion for the animals growing up in Western Massachusetts.

He’s caught some of the largest reptiles that have been on the loose over the last few decades statewide.

Now, he plans to track down Goose this Friday in Webster.

“It’s going to be looking for water,” he said. “If that animal’s hungry and you step the wrong direction, you will get bit by it. That’s a good size animal!”

AI images and memes about the loose lizard have flooded Webster social media pages.

Others, like Pete Tarbox, are taking the craze to a new level. The Webster man now wears a lizard onesies across town.

“It’s been silly,” he told Boston 25 Tuesday. “We’re a fun town.”

The Massachusetts Environmental Police say this is an active investigation, and it’s unclear if the owners will face charges.

Webster Police say it is illegal to own a water monitor in Massachusetts without a permit.

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