Horncastle iguana rescued from tree after escaping via cat flap

A pet iguana had to be rescued from a tree after it escaped its home through a cat flap while chasing another pet.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said its crews were surprised to find their last job in Horncastle on Wednesday involved Einstein the iguana.

He had been missing for 24 hours before being spotted up a neighbour's tree on Queen Street, the RSPCA said.

The reptile was rescued with the help of a tree surgeon using chimney rods, salvage sheets and rope equipment.

Firefighters from Horncastle and Louth were called to the scene by the RSPCA shortly before 18:00 BST.

Einstein's owner, Stuart Hoyle, a retired detective, said he had forgotten to reset the cat flap, which used microchip technology, and that was how the five-year-old juvenile had disappeared.

"Einstein considers himself the head of the household and he's always up to something. He's sometimes very clever and sometimes quite daft.

"He doesn't live in an enclosure, he's free roaming in the house and he has his area, which is elevated, and has all of his needs.

"But he's free to go anywhere, and he actually has his toilet, which he uses most of the time.

"He's a very good climber. He has lots of climbing opportunities in the house and he does make use of them."

Mr Hoyle, who also has two cats, thanked all those who helped rescue his green iguana, who was back to "his usual self" since returning home.

"He went to his usual favourite spot in the back of the sofa to observe the cats in the garden, and I gave him a bowl of dandelions, which he loves, up in his climate area."

Mr Hoyle said he had been a herpetologist, a zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians, since the 1970s and had cared for "a large number of reptiles".

"Einstein is hilarious. He is incredibly clumsy and will pretend nothing happens when he makes a mistake.

"He will come and inspect all our meals and sometimes steal from our plates."

Posting on Facebook after the reptile rescue, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "A busy day for Horncastle crew today, and then we finished off with a small animal rescue, but to our surprise not what we were expecting.

"We got to meet the lovely Einstein the Iguana who got himself stuck up a very large tree. Thanks to Louth Fire Station and our amazing local tree surgeon for some assistance we managed to safely get him back down."

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].