Stowaway lizard survives three months living in box after being shipped from China to Kent

A stowaway lizard has survived three months living in a cardboard box after a 5,000-mile journey from China to Kent.

The gecko was discovered in a shipment of musical instruments by a company in Maidstone.

The RSPCA were called and took the lizard to the Brighton Reptile Rescue who have identified him as an Asian house gecko.

He has been given the nickname 'Thin Lizard'.

Clive Hopwood, who rescued him, said: "The staff were unpacking a box when the little gecko scuttled out.

The box had been part of a shipment that had travelled over from China in a sealed ocean shipping container in October, but the box wasn't unpacked until three months later."

Geckos need a specific temperature gradient suitable for the species, and rely on their environment to warm up or cool down as needed.

The RSPCA said the reptile was lucky to survive, particularly over the winter months, without specialist equipment to regulate its temperature.

They are reminding anyone who finds a non-native animal to contact them for advice.

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