HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A Hollywood man had a frightening encounter with an unwelcome reptile that was too close for comfort.
Speaking with 7News on Sunday, 58-year-old John Riddle said Friday’s trip to his bathroom left him freaked out.
“I thought I was in ‘Jurassic Park’ or something,” he said.
The source of the nasty surprise: an iguana sitting in his toilet bowl.
“He was splashing and hissing at me,” he said. “I was scared. I’m not a reptile fan.”
Riddle said he noticed the bathroom door, off the pool deck of his home, located off North Hills Drive, was still open.
When he it went to close it, he came upon the scaly intruder.
“That’s when it turned around and opened its mouth, and that’s all I needed to see to, like, back off for a minute and figure out what was going on,” he said.
Riddle said the iguana went deeper into the toilet, and while he tried his best to remain calm and figure out what to do next, he grabbed a nearby baby gate to keep it from sneaking out and running into his bedroom.
“I came back probably a little less than an hour later, and there he was again, splashing around,” he said. “This was my chance, and I was trying to work up the nerve to grab him and throw him out, but before I did that, he crawled out, and crawled, like, behind the toilet, and that’s when I grabbed the strainer and shooed him out.”
Riddle said the iguana dove into his pool and eventually ran into the backyard.
He believes the reptile got in when he left the door open while walking his dogs. It’s a lesson that he has definitely learned.
“It’s a story to tell, for sure. Hopefully we can avoid any instances in the future,” he said.
Riddle said the iguana was not hurt, adding he hopes to never see it again inside his home.
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