An animal rescue team smashed open a manhole to help free a monitor lizard that had its head stuck in the drain while trying to escape from a pet dog.

The reptile was first seen walling into the neighbourhood and was chased down by dogs in Kalasin, northeastern Thailand on Monday morning (May 4).

Reptile handlers hurried to the scene after they were contacted by the locals who spotted the creature struggling to get out of the drain where it hid.

The 3ft long monitor lizard's head was still stuck in the drain but it was able to take its body and tail out.

Footage shows the rescuers and the locals work to widen the hole and pull the reptile out. The lizard was finally free after a few attempts.

Onlooker, Phrom Mungruamkan, said the monitor lizard was stuck after it ran away from his dog and hid in the drain.

He said: "I heard my dog bark at something so I went to check. When I saw the monitor lizard, I tried to poke it with a stick to chase it away.

"But it ran from my stick to my dog instead. It was chased down to the drain by my dog and was stuck there so I called the rescuers for help."

The monitor lizard was tied up by the rescuers and took it away to be released.