A firefighter in Australia has been hailed a 'hero' after managing to save a drowning lizard from a swimming pool after hauling it out and giving it CPR as the poor little guy lay unconscious.
The tiny reptile had been found in a bad way in a neighbourhood swimming pool in New South Wales, Australia, where temperatures had reached a fierce 34°C.
Advert
In a Facebook post, Gordon Fire Station said one of its their off-duty firefighters was asked to help out, saying the creature was not breathing after being found 'unresponsive in a pool skimmer box by some children after failing to scale from the pool'.
The firefighter got to work quickly, and turned the lizard onto its back before starting cardiopulmonary compressions for 10 minutes in an attempt to get a spring back in its tail.
And, amazingly, it worked.
The Facebook post explained: "After more than ten minutes things weren't looking good for the little fella but soon after an occasional 'gasping breath' was noticed.
Advert
"From previous experience our firefighters know this is not the time to stop so CPR was continued.
"Then miraculously 'Lucky' the lizard started to breathe on his own."
The lizard's strength began to return and it rolled back onto its stomach, eventually scuttling off into the sunset.
"He was quickly rolled back onto his stomach and within half an hour with a little sunshine was back to chasing insects," Gordon Fire Station said.
Advert
The post added: "It also serves as a timely reminder to know your CPR action plan in and around the water as we head towards the end of summer.
"Another great save by the Gordon crew."
Many people commented on Facebook to praise the firefighter for the rescue, with one writing: "Heroes!! Well done."
Advert
Another said: "All life is precious. Great work."
While the Aussie animal was fighting for its life, another lizard-like creature over in Bosnia and Herzegovina was having a much better time - having just been lounging around for a few days... 2,569 days, to be precise.
The mysterious cave-dwelling species of salamander barely ever does anything, but one individual in particular has reached new heights in the inactivity stakes.
Advert
A long-term capture study of an aquatic cave system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, published in the Journal of Zoology, found one of the little fellas didn't move at all for more than seven years.
A section of the study reads: "The observed individuals were typically in the open, and even if some individuals were within metres of each other, they showed no other sign of grouping behaviour. In these caves, at least when diving is possible, currents seemingly cause no problem for P. anguinus and the lack of predation makes hiding pointless.
"On the other hand, the movement patterns revealed by the present study strengthen the previous observations that these animals are frequently associated with certain locations they know well.
"The surprisingly low movement activity revealed by recaptures adds another facet to the extreme lifestyle of the species. Out of 37 recaptures in the extended dataset, only 10 represented a longer than 10m and only three longer than 20m movement, with always more than 100 days having elapsed between sightings. One individual was found at the same location after 2,569 days."
Featured Image Credit: Gordon Fire and Rescue NSW/FacebookTopics: World News, News, Animals, Australia