Couple in care after 2m goanna savaging

EXPERTS say a goanna which viciously attacked a couple and killed their pet dog in North Queensland could have been more than 2m long.

The husband and wife were left with horrific injuries on Thursday afternoon when they tried to stop the goanna from killing their beloved pet jack russell at Flametree, near Airlie Beach.

The 72-year-old man suffered serious leg and arm injuries in the attack including a suspected fractured arm and heavy blood loss, and had to be flown to Mackay Base Hospital. His 64-year-old wife suffered significant injuries to her legs and was treated at the Proserpine Hospital.

Reptile experts say the largest goanna species found in the Airlie Beach area is the lace monitor, which packs a venomous bite, can tear flesh with its claws and potentially break bone with a whip of its tail.

Reptilian expert Lucas Cheyne said the “strictly carnivorous” animal was typically harmless but had a terrifying arsenal.

“I’d rather be bitten by a medium-size crocodile than one of these large monitor lizards,” Mr Cheyne said.

Mr Cheyne, who has worked with lizards for 30 years and founded Reptile Kingdom Australia, said the injuries suffered by the couple were not surprising.

“It just goes to show what these animals are capable of,” Mr Cheyne said. “I suspect (the lizard in Flametree) was quite a large specimen, to sustain that much damage.”

He said goannas were not typically aggressive but would lash out if attacked or cornered. He said even the whip of their tail had been documented to break a man’s shin, and its venomous bite could also be used to sedate its prey of rabbits, cats and other small animals.

There have only been three publicly reported goanna attacks in Queensland since the start of 2019.