Stowaway Egyptian gecko found in Manchester Lidl strawberries

A gecko has made a travel of astir 3,000 miles (4,828 km) stowed distant successful a punnet of strawberries.

A pistillate made the astonishment find of the Egyptian lizard erstwhile she opened her fridge successful Manchester to find a "little head" popping up.

Nikata Moran, 29, who bought the effect from Lidl said she saw thing determination "out of the country of my eye".

"When I looked again I saw this tiny gecko, I couldn't judge it," she said.

Ms Moran enactment the gecko, which measured lone 2.5cm (1 inch) into a tub and called the RSPCA who person rehomed it.

She said: "It seemed precise alert, truthful I managed to get it onto a spoon and popular it into a integrative container, wherever it moved very, precise fast.

Apart from missing a "little portion of tail", which should turn back, the lizard was uninjured.

"I conscionable can't get implicit the travel it had, ending up successful my kitchen," Ms Moran said.

The Egyptian gecko - oregon Tarentola annularis - was collected by RSPCA inspector Rachel Henderson and checked by a vet specialising successful exotic animals.

"I person nary thought however thing truthful tiny survived for specified a agelong clip successful transit successful a sealed-up container," she said.

It was taken to Reptilia Exotic Animal Rescue successful Ossett, West Yorkshire.

A spokesperson said accidentally imported geckos were common, adding that they "adapt precise good to captivity" and "this small 1 has settled successful well" and would beryllium rehomed "once helium has passed his quarantine period."