Monitor Lizard Consumes Newborn Near Bangkok Housing

In Samut Prakan, Thailand, near a workers’ housing area primarily rented by migrant workers, residents discovered a monitor lizard feeding on the remains of a newborn baby, prompting a major police and rescue response. Only the baby’s head and upper torso were recovered, with other body parts missing, and the sex of the infant has yet to be confirmed. Authorities believe the baby was carried to full term and was likely born just days earlier, with no signs of decomposition found. Police are investigating whether the infant was alive when abandoned, as the mother could face imprisonment and a fine under Thai law if so. The incident has raised speculation that the mother may have been unable to care for the child due to difficult circumstances. While monitor lizard attacks on humans are rare in Thailand, similar incidents have occurred before, including a reported case in 2020.