Lizard hit to gizzards

AN insurance company has been forced to pay out over 1.5 million roubles (A$32,000) after nearly 3000 turkeys in the Tambov region of Russia were spooked to death by a lizard.

A lizard had strayed into the turkeys’ holding area at a poultry farm, causing panic and a stampede into a corner of the room, leading to the death of 2848 birds by asphyxiation.

“The cause of death of the 2848 insured animals ... was asphyxia as a result of pulmonary edema, because of a large pile-up of birds in one spot due to fright from a reptile that penetrated into the bird’s cage,” the insurer said.