Yes, Dewi, dragons do exist

This afternoon as we were walking back on to campus from an awesome outing at Vivo City, we saw several fellow Prince George's Park residents standing near the gate, one or two with cameras, staring at the patch of trees that line the fence. Must be someone posing for an end of the semester picture, or maybe a pretty bird.

No, it was the damn scariest wildlife I've encountered in a long time. It was a Malayan water monitor, maybe 4 feet long from nose to tail, just creeping around and "smelling" for prey with his tongue. Now, I grew up in the Badger State, and so encountering a badger might scare me more, but this lizard looked like he could walk away with Dewi if he were so inclined. I've since learned that they're more scavengers than hunters, but he probably does feast on the smaller lizards and other wildlife that is pretty abundant here.

They apparently can live in canals (of which there are many on the island and even on campus), and can do saltwater or fresh (both are close), and can climb trees (got lots of those). I don't think I'd feel much better seeing something that big up in a tree as opposed to on the ground. Anyway, allegedly they are more prone to hide than fight if provoked, but, uh, what constitutes provocation, and are we talking 51/49 flight vs. fight, or are they really passive animals? Regardless, I will be carrying Dewi in my arms anytime we step outside the gate. Somehow I don't think the dragon would respond kindly to a giggling toddler staggering over to pet it.