A LIZARD which is thought to have been accidentally imported with some houseplants was found by customers at an Asda store on Sunday.
Paul Ogden, 41 from Leeds was shopping at the Asda store in Pudsey on Sunday evening to get some valentines flowers for his wife but returned home with the lizard, which is now named Valentino, in a bucket.
Paul said: "I saw a group of people huddled by the veg section and I guess it was just my intrigue which made me go over there."
"They were all looking at something and someone mentioned they had seen a lizard.
An Asda worker walked past and put it in an empty drainage bucket from what the roses and went off to speak to a manager but I just suddenly thought to myself, I can take it because it if needs to be released I've got a pond, I've got places local to me where it can be released so I took the bucket and set off home."
Paul, said he has 'all sorts' of pets at home, many being rescue animals, and it is in his nature to help if he can.
He said: "When I came through the door my wife just gave me a look, but she wasn't shocked I had the lizard. So I just tried to make an enclosure out of Tupperware and sort of an incubator to keep it warm with a baking tray over it, because I wasn't sure what sort of species it is and what it needs."
Paul said he 'dug up some woodlouse, gave it some 'veg options incase it was a herbivore' and tried to get in contact with some reptile experts to identify its species and what it needs to stay alive.
He added: "He is currently residing in my kitchen, he's been super energetic, I've had him out, he's been sat on my hand and stuff, he's really sociable and really likable."
"I just want to ensure he's where he's meant to be here, and if he's not, to get him to where he needs to be. But if he is meant to be here, we're going to keep him.
This is what our house is about, we've got plenty of other animals that we have picked up along the way. It didn't come as a surprise that I came home with a bucket with a random animal in."
A spokesperson from Asda said: ''We always do our best to ensure that tag-alongs are found before our plants reach our stores but we are pleased that the aptly-named Valentino is being well looked after by Paul and his family.''
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here