Live lizard hitches lift on Eccles tram

There was amusement, and confusion, last night as commuters spotted a live lizard on a Metrolink tram bound for Eccles.

Twitter user Russ Booth tweeted a photo of the reptile at around 6pm on Monday evening, saying ‘Just a bloke with a live lizard on his head on the Metrolink.’

Just a bloke with a live lizard on his head on the Metrolink. Welcome to Manchester. @MCRMetrolink @MENnewsdesk pic.twitter.com/PfkEgJx1Or

— choduk (@choduk) 2 December 2019

Speaking to Salford Now, Russ explained how he had boarded the Eccles-bound tram at Piccadilly Station and sat at the end of the carriage with his headphones in and looking out of the window as he usually does.

‘At Piccadilly Gardens a group young women boarded the tram – one of them sitting alongside me.

‘These girls seemed to have become a little giddy, and when the tram stopped at the station on of them had let out a shriek and they’d all moved to stand near the door. I thought perhaps there was a wasp or something – but it’s not the time of year. I looked over my shoulder and that’s when I saw the lizard, sitting on top of this guy’s woolly hat.’

According to Russ, more people had spotted the lizard by this point.

‘I took a quick snap before the the tram got too busy again, but nobody wanted to get too close.

‘Most people thought it was pretty funny and were taking photos and videos. No one wanted to sit directly behind the guy as the lizard tried to climb over to the next seat a few times. Another group of commuters had sat nearby at this point and took it as their duty to inform fellow travelers who hadn’t spotted the lizard when they sat behind.

‘One woman took one look and shot back up out of the seat. After the initial shock, everyone found it quite amusing and joined in with the photo taking. A few commented that Metrolink bylaws explicitly forbade dogs, but there was no mention of lizards.’

Whilst it is still unclear eactly why the lizard was on the man’s head, Manchester Metrolink got in on the fun saying ‘Well, that’s certainly not something we see every day!’