The Biggest Lizard In The World: Searching for the 13-Foot Tree Crocodile

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:03]The Raja Empat Islands of Indonesia.

[00:00:06]Hot, humid, and rife with malaria.

[00:00:13]Nobody knows for sure what lives in these remote forests, but this part of the world has always been home to giant reptiles.

[00:00:22]One of them is a huge lizard called the tree crocodile.

[00:00:26]It could be the biggest lizard in the world.

[00:00:38]>> Thomas Schultz Westerner doesn't look like a hero, but he is. A German zoologologist. He's trying to find out more about the animals that live in this isolated region.

[00:00:53]Thomas is based in Indonesia's eastern most province, Iranian Jaya. He lives just off the mainland on a small island called Batanta, one of the Rajger Empire group.

[00:01:08]The forests on these islands are a wildlife paradise, but their future's looking bleak. The loggers are starting to move in.

[00:01:20]Right across Indonesia, forests are being felled at a devastating rate. But Thomas believes there may be a way to save the Raja Empat forests.

[00:01:31]He recently captured this rare footage of a tree crocodile. It's only a small one, but the local people say they grow up to 13 ft long. If that's true, they're the longest lizards in the world, and their very existence could be the key to protecting the area. It's happened before.

[00:01:55]700 m southwest of Batanta is Komodo Island, one of the first national parks created in Indonesia.

[00:02:04]This is why the Komodo Dragon At up to 10 ft long and built like a tank, it's as near as you can get to a living dinosaur. People come from all over the world to see these giant lizards.

[00:02:33]I'm Mark Strickson, a zoologologist and natural history filmmaker with a special interest in reptiles.

[00:02:41]When I heard that Thomas was searching for another giant lizard, the tree crocodile, I was really keen to help.

[00:02:47]I'm on my way to join him, but I couldn't resist stopping off on Komodo to see the famous dragons.

[00:02:58]It's very early in the morning. The sun's not even up beyond the hills and it's the best time of day to see big lizards.

[00:03:18]Adult komodos have killed and eaten humans before now. So, you've really got to know what you're doing when you're in dragon country.

[00:03:30]These rocks that I'm on are an ideal basking spot for lizards. And there's one here. I need to move really slowly and carefully from now on. You stay there, guys.

[00:03:46]Like all reptiles, dragons are coldblooded. They're solar powered and need to warm up in the sun before they can be active. Early morning is the only time you can safely approach them.

[00:04:06]Now, with any luck, he doesn't even know I'm here.

[00:04:14]If I keep absolutely still, I should be safe.

[00:04:20]He's a big animal for a komodo. He's got to be almost 9 ft. And they don't grow much bigger than this.

[00:04:29]>> Now, you'd have no trouble bringing a deer or a wild pig down. And I tell you what, they'd probably put up a better fight than me.

[00:04:39]>> He's starting to move, and I'd be a fool to stick around much longer.

[00:04:59]The dragons were amazing, but I'm keen to press on and meet up with Thomas.

[00:05:04]He's waiting for me in Sirong, the nearest town to his camp on Batanta.

[00:05:22]This is Pete. He's a local and one of the very few that speak English. He's very well respected in the area, and Thomas is lucky to have him on his team.

[00:05:32]>> And there's Thomas. After endless letters and phone calls, it's good to finally meet up.

[00:05:40]>> End of the world. Thank you.

[00:05:42]>> It feels like it. I'm glad to be here.

[00:05:48]>> It's 5 weeks since we last spoke, so I'm eager to hear if he's got anything new to report.

[00:05:58]>> Well, Mark, since we spoken last, there was some very, very exciting reports from Bakanta, which is one of the islands where I was telling you about inj.

[00:06:07]And uh I think we got a map. Have you got the map with you?

[00:06:10]>> Okay, great. That's a good one.

[00:06:12]>> Nerdin's an expert tracker. His skills are going to be crucial.

[00:06:16]>> And you see on the northern coast there's a lot of u fjords and bays and there are highlands like here >> and people have found big ones on all along this coast about six different >> you you believe these reports. Yeah. You think they're telling the truth? I do because if I see their faces when I tell you the stories, you instantly believe.

[00:06:40]>> It sounds promising. So, we head straight out to our base camp.

[00:06:49]My first sight of a tanta and it's even better than I expected. Steep slopes, cloud cover, virgin rainforest coming right the way down to the sea. There are so few places in the world where you can see this sort of landscape.

[00:07:06]Indonesia is one of the most biologically rich countries in the world. Over 500 species of mammal live here and around 17% of the world's bird species. It's a paradise for zoologologists.

[00:07:27]>> Thomas, nice camp. Yeah, >> finally. Yes, it is.

[00:07:31]>> Looks great.

[00:07:46]Well, Mark, this is the house. All natural, no nail.

[00:07:50]>> Mhm.

[00:07:51]>> Local material, palm roof, lots of space. You can choose any room you want.

[00:07:56]>> And it backs right onto the rainforest.

[00:07:59]I mean, it's wonderful. Palm cockados come right every morning and up in the back you have ecletoous parrot you have all kinds of things and a bit further back you have birds of paradise this is the spectacular red bird of paradise and these are Wilson's bird of paradise they're only found on Batanta and that's typical of many of the animals around here they're unique to just one island.

[00:08:36]Indonesia was once attached to Australia by a landbridge. And that's why you find a lot of marsupials here, like this walabe.

[00:08:49]But for Thomas and I, the most wonderful things are the reptiles. So far, more than 400 species have been discovered.

[00:08:57]This is a green tree python.

[00:09:01]And believe it or not, this is also a green tree python, but it's a young one.

[00:09:07]It's possible that the patterning provides camouflage against predators by disguising the snake's body shape.

[00:09:16]Here's another one.

[00:09:30]This beautiful lizard is a green tree monitor, a close relative of the tree crocodile. Its long limbs and massive claws are designed for climbing.

[00:09:40]Now, everything I know about lizards tells me that the tree crocodile might be longer than the Komodo dragon, but it won't be as bulky. As a tree dweller, it's got to be agile.

[00:09:57]The Tanta lies almost on the equator and by 6:00 the sun is going down. Going down fast and then the clouds roll in and the rains come. It's not called rainforest for nothing.

[00:10:21]>> Okay, thank you.

[00:10:23]It's been a long day for me and I need an early night. At least at base camp, I've got a dry bed and can get a good night's sleep. Once we're out in the forest, it's going to be a very different story.

[00:10:49]>> Thomas.

[00:10:51]Oh, visitors.

[00:10:52]>> Almost every day, people come into Thomas' camp with animals caught during logging operations.

[00:10:57]>> It's a sad indicator of what's going on.

[00:11:01]>> Oh, yeah.

[00:11:02]>> These animals are from Salawati, a neighboring island. What's so exciting is that you never know what's in the bag. It could contain a species of animal we've never even heard of.

[00:11:14]>> Three kangaroo.

[00:11:19]>> Oh, come on.

[00:11:21]No, don't do that. Come just out. Relax.

[00:11:27]>> Oh, you know what I'm doing? I go in the kitchen and get some greens. Maybe it's >> This little tree kangaroo was really lucky to have been brought into our camp and not taken to some animal trader. The market for exotic pets results in thousands of animals being illegally exported from Indonesia each year. Most of them die in transit. At least we can buy this little kangaroo and release him somewhere safe.

[00:12:01]Let's see what's in the other bag.

[00:12:02]Thomas, come on. This >> Oh, isn't he wonderful? This is an amethystine python. And interestingly enough, it's the main predator of tree kangaroos.

[00:12:19]And they've got to be one of the most beautiful snakes in the rainforest.

[00:12:24]Wow.

[00:12:27]Both these animals are nocturnal. So, we'll wait until tonight to release them. For now, we'll put them in a quiet place so they can rest.

[00:12:36]Meanwhile, Thomas and I are off to meet a man who says his magic powers can summon tree crocodiles from the forest.

[00:12:55]Today we're heading for the nearest village, Amoui.

[00:12:58]The missionaries did a thorough job here converting the people to Christianity, but some of the old beliefs still exist.

[00:13:06]Carrying the chickens is Charles, the man we've come to meet. Thomas is skeptical about his claims, but I've only got three weeks and I want to follow up every lead we've got.

[00:13:33]Mangrove swamp supports a huge variety of animals. These are mud skippers. It's hard to believe it, but they're actually fish.

[00:13:52]And these fiddler crabs are the staple diet of many animals that live amongst the mangroves, including lizards.

[00:14:04]Charles has built himself an altar, and he's putting offerings on it. tobacco, salt, beans, all things that are valuable to the local people.

[00:14:16]It's interesting to see that Nerdin and Pete are as fascinated as we are.

[00:14:20]They've never seen anything like this.

[00:14:28]Now, it's making sense. Charles has killed one of the chickens and is putting it on the fire. Lizards have a really good sense of smell. And as the smell of chicken drifts through the mangroves, they'll be attracted in, and it doesn't take long. This is a peach throatated monitor.

[00:14:50]It's a really exciting find for us.

[00:14:53]Peachthroatated monitors are rarely seen, and like many of the animals in this area, very little is known about them.

[00:15:08]But despite a promising start, we didn't see any more lizards that day, let alone a tree crocodile.

[00:15:17]As we got back to camp, the rain set in again, and we knew we had a really wet night ahead of us.

[00:15:24]We needed to release the animals brought in that morning. The snake was easy, but tree kangaroos only eat certain leaves.

[00:15:31]Thomas had to search the forest for the right kind of tree.

[00:15:35]>> The best. Yeah. Good foliage, easy climbing.

[00:15:45]>> There you go.

[00:15:55]He looks all right. He started feeding already.

[00:15:58]>> Good luck, mate.

[00:16:04]Nighttime is a really good time for spotting animals in the rainforest.

[00:16:11]This is a couscous.

[00:16:17]Like the walabe in the tree kangaroo, it's a marsupial common to Indonesia and Australia.

[00:16:35]And these are striped psums, two young ones. You're incredibly lucky if you see these animals in the wild. They're rare and very shy.

[00:16:45]They're insect eaters, and as they move across the branches, they tap the bark gently, listening for the hollow sound of an insect's burrow.

[00:17:00]There's plenty of activity on the forest floor as well.

[00:17:06]>> Thomas, do you know what this is?

[00:17:13]>> Be careful. Be careful. Very careful.

[00:17:15]>> I can tell you it's a venomous snake.

[00:17:17]It's just like the Australian elapids.

[00:17:20]The most deadly snakes in the world.

[00:17:22]Mark, be very careful. This is olary.

[00:17:24]Ular puty means white snake and it's very much feared by the locals here.

[00:17:28]People have died within hours.

[00:17:31]>> Right. Thank you for telling me. I I found it under that log. Isn't Isn't it wonderful though? The color. I've seen one white snake before in my life in Australia. Again, a nocturnal snake like this. And I guess it's camouflage. Um yeah, the moonlight coming down through the forest trees. They they look like a moonlit stick. He may be venomous, but he's very beautiful, isn't he?

[00:17:52]Oh, no. No. He's getting tired. I'm going to have to let him go. He's trying to find cover, though. You see, he doesn't want to be near me. He's much more frightened of me than I am of him.

[00:18:00]So, off you go, mate. Go on. Back towards your lock. Go on. I'll let him go. There he goes. Good hunting.

[00:18:20]When we finally get back to camp, Thomas and I identify the snake as a New Guinea smalleyed snake. Yet another species to add to Thomas's record.

[00:18:48]We're going hunting today. Pig hunting.

[00:18:50]There's a good reason why. As the dogs run through the forest, they flush out lizards. It's the best chance I've got to see my first tree crocodile.

[00:19:05]>> Feral pigs are found on virtually every large island in the region, and they're an important source of food for the locals. But hunting them is dangerous work. In the rainforest, even a small cut can quickly become infected by virulent bacteria, and that can lead to major health problems. Even antibiotics won't help you.

[00:19:35]This is really tough going. I'm used to the heat, but it's like working out in a sauna.

[00:19:43]They do.

[00:19:55]This This is a blue tail monitor.

[00:20:01]>> And they don't usually climb up trees.

[00:20:03]They're usually only found on the ground. But what he was trying to do there was escape from me. He's a lovely animal. Oh, he's being a bit aggressive.

[00:20:10]And that's absolutely typical of the lizards that we're going to see on this trip. There are five species of monitor.

[00:20:15]One of which is the tree crocodile. This is one of the others. Now, they're all fast. They're all quite aggressive. And there's a very good reason why. The things that they hunt, like rats, birds, other lizards, they're fast as well, and they fight back. So, these are good fighters. Look at this tail. Isn't it gorgeous?

[00:20:36]Look at that blue coloration. Absolutely wonderful patterning.

[00:20:40]But you saw how quickly he was going up that tree. Okay, he hunts on the ground, but look at these front claws.

[00:20:47]He can grab on with them and get up a tree pretty fast.

[00:20:51]And if I turn him over very gently, it's okay. You can see he's got a beautiful marbled underbelly.

[00:21:01]Now, these folds on the skin mean it's quite a long time since he's eaten, but he's a mature animal. Lizards have to be opportunistic hunters. They do go through times when they don't get much food. But he'll be all right. He's an adult. He's been through hard times before, and I'm sure he'll get out of them.

[00:21:20]>> Come on.

[00:21:21]>> There you are.

[00:21:23]>> There we go.

[00:21:25]>> Off he goes.

[00:21:32]>> We walked all day long, making slower and slower progress as we climbed up into the hills.

[00:21:38]No more lizards. Once again, luck wasn't on our side, and you need luck in the rainforest. There are tree crocodiles out there, but they're staying well hidden.

[00:21:55]Another frustration is that because we're on the equator, it always gets dark at 6. You have to stop and pitch camp.

[00:22:07]But talks around the campfire can be really useful.

[00:22:10]>> It's usually quite hard to get the locals to open up, but as the night goes on, they tell us about their encounters with tree crocodiles.

[00:22:23]>> This man says he was out hunting when one dropped from the trees. It attacked his dogs and blinded one of them. At the time he saw and then he saw this animal climb the tree and he said it because it's too it was too big. So when it climbed back and then pulled down again.

[00:22:41]>> So he climbed for the second time.

[00:22:46]>> It's been a long day. We've come quite high up into the hills and since we saw the blue tail monitor this morning, we haven't seen another large animal.

[00:22:54]Plenty of birds up in the canopy.

[00:22:56]They're there because that's where the food is in a rainforest. Down on the forest floor, there's not much light, so there's not much vegetation. You don't get grazing animals. The only animals that can survive down there are carnivores, like the lizards, feeding on rats and ground dwelling birds. So, one lizard this morning, that's a pretty good result, and I'm sure we'll see some more tomorrow.

[00:23:19]It's hard going, but we've got to stay positive.

[00:23:28]The moment the sun rose the next morning, we knew it was going to be a scorcher. The hunters decide to take us to some caves up in the mountains. On a day like this, reptiles can easily overheat, and caves provide perfect shelter.

[00:23:49]As we climb further up, the forest opens out and there are many more birds.

[00:23:54]There's a lot more fruit about, too. And the horn bills are having a feast.

[00:24:27]Thomas.

[00:24:28]>> Yeah. No lizards, but there's a snake.

[00:24:33]Come on. It's obviously a bit of an aggressive snake this one. He's big.

[00:24:36]Come on. Come on.

[00:24:39]There we are. Wait. That's it. That's it. Ooh, mouth open. This is a blackheaded python. It's an Albertis python, but he's a wonderful specimen.

[00:24:50]He's very big. Oh, thank you, mate.

[00:24:54]Come on. Yep. Oh, he's having a little go.

[00:24:59]>> Yeah.

[00:25:02]>> He's just investigating you with his tongue.

[00:25:04]>> Mhm. Probably feeling some difference in temperature.

[00:25:07]>> Yeah, I should think so. I'm pretty hot.

[00:25:09]He's >> heated up from outside.

[00:25:16]Pythons detect their prey by body heat.

[00:25:18]That's why he's interested in me. Like his prey, the rat, I'm warm-blooded, but I'm bigger than any rat he's ever come across.

[00:25:48]The snake was a good find, but we didn't see much else that day. Even the pig hunters were disappointed. It was time to move on.

[00:25:58]Our next search area is Patant's north coast. But first, there's an unscheduled stop. Our boatman's offered some fisherman friends a lift to Igen Island.

[00:26:08]It's out of our way, but we've heard it's another good place for lizards.

[00:26:15]The village is really isolated, so it's a shock to see gravel extraction going on. The villagers tell us the noise has driven the wildlife away. It's really depressing. Nowhere in the world is safe from exploitation.

[00:26:49]The journey gives Thomas a chance to talk to the fishermen and their families. He learns that they fish around Iggy because it's surrounded by good coral reef.

[00:27:05]A lot of the reef in the area has been destroyed by dynamite fishing. At Igggin, it's still pristine and the marine life is spectacular.

[00:27:36]Whilst the fishermen catch lunch, Thomas and I head in land.

[00:27:42]It's hellishly hot and the going is slow. We're in mangrove country again.

[00:28:00]Thomas is just showing off.

[00:28:04]>> This is pretty much like hell for me.

[00:28:07]I'm being bitten to death by mosquitoes, and it doesn't come much harder than walking across a mangrove swamp, but it's perfect for the animals we're looking for.

[00:28:18]It's almost midday and way too hot for lizards to be out in the open. Right now, they'll be sheltering from the heat in the surrounding forest. Not such a bad idea.

[00:28:35]This is a good sign. Termites. Termite mounds are kept at a constant temperature and many lizards use them as incubators for their eggs.

[00:28:46]Check that one.

[00:28:51]You see it's quite big hole.

[00:28:55]Little snake inside.

[00:28:57]Let's see how I can get.

[00:29:01]Looks Oh, look at this. Wow.

[00:29:05]Oh, >> maybe more.

[00:29:06]>> This is so special.

[00:29:09]>> I've got to say, he's cute, isn't he?

[00:29:11]Isn't he dead cute?

[00:29:14]>> It's a baby mangrove monitor.

[00:29:18]>> We got more.

[00:29:19]>> More?

[00:29:19]>> Yeah.

[00:29:20]>> Look at this.

[00:29:21]>> Look at this.

[00:29:22]>> I've never seen this before. ever.

[00:29:25]>> Now, in crocodiles, they stay together, the young for quite a long time after they hatch, and the mother looks after them. The locals told us they'd seen mothers with little lizards like this going around the forest. We weren't sure whether to believe them, but it's obviously true.

[00:29:41]This is what's so amazing about traveling in this part of the world. You discover something new every day.

[00:29:47]>> They're still already using their tails.

[00:29:49]Oh, he's going Oh, he's gone back in.

[00:29:51]That's good. Anyway, that's >> Let's pop them back in.

[00:29:56]>> Oops.

[00:30:04]>> Back on the shore, they're cooking lunch, and smoke is drifting out over the forest, just like it did with Charles. Let's hope it brings the lizards in.

[00:30:18]Here they come. More mangrove monitors. Big ones, too.

[00:30:34]>> He tells me that the lizards are sacred to the fishermen. They believe that if they give the lizards a portion of their fish, fish will always be plentiful around the island. There's a similar belief held on Komodo Island about the dragons.

[00:30:57]This one must be almost 6 ft long.

[00:31:34]It was a real treat to see the mangrove monitors, but what we're really after is tree crocodiles. We need to press on to our next stop, Yansuai.

[00:31:48]The people here are really friendly.

[00:31:50]That's just as well. We want to do a thorough survey of the forest, and we're going to need all the help we can get.

[00:32:06]While I have fun, Thomas is trying to get permission for us to go into the forest. It's sacred to the villagers, and they're very protective of it.

[00:32:14]Fortunately, the village elder is sympathetic.

[00:32:21]>> The next morning, we're able to start our search, and there are plenty of volunteers to help us.

[00:32:30]The villagers are nervous though and want to pray before we start. I can understand their fears. The forest is a dangerous place.

[00:32:38]>> They pray that we won't get lost, that the animals we meet won't hurt us, and that we'll all come out of the forest safely.

[00:32:50]>> Okay, Pete, be good organizing four groups of six. Okay.

[00:32:54]>> Okay. Good as you can. Okay, >> we're splitting up so that we can do a systematic search of the forests.

[00:33:06]>> Thomas will stick to the lowlands with his two groups and the rest of us will go up into the mountains.

[00:33:22]Yet again, it's dense, oppressive jungle, very easy to get lost in. And climbing in this heat and humidity really saps you.

[00:33:38]>> It looks like a good area for tree crocodiles. Mature trees, plenty of them, rocky outcrops which provide shade for them during the middle of the day.

[00:33:46]What we're looking for is scratches on the trees. Tree crocodiles tend to have a a roost in a tree and they'll go up and down the same tree. So you can tell where they are.

[00:34:00]Further up the mountain, we come across a massive cave system.

[00:34:06]None of the men I'm with have ever visited these caves, but they've heard about them. During the Second World War, people from their village came up here to hide from the Japanese.

[00:34:16]There are some incredibly long poles going up into the roof, and it soon becomes clear what they were used for.

[00:34:24]Bats make good food.

[00:34:44]By the time we got back to the beach, we were completely exhausted. And after all that effort, I was really disappointed not to have found anything.

[00:34:55]>> Fortunately, Thomas had had more luck.

[00:34:58]He'd found good evidence that there were large lizards living in the area.

[00:35:08]I just had to see what he discovered.

[00:35:20]>> Looks good, doesn't it?

[00:35:22]>> Yeah, it's much better than anything I saw.

[00:35:26]Yeah. What we've got here is a clear path running down the hillside.

[00:35:32]Something's using it regularly. You can see all the leaves been taken away here off the earth. There's no sign it's a pig. There's no pig hooves. So, it must be a lizard. And it's a fairly sizable one.

[00:35:46]And at the top there, you can see there are scratches on that branch crossing the path, which means it's being used at the moment. It must have been used in the last couple of days. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:35:57]We'll definitely set some traps here.

[00:35:58]It's good.

[00:36:06]Trapping isn't ideal, but if we want to find out if these lizards really are here, there's no option. What we can do is make absolutely sure that the traps can't hurt the animals. We get the locals to make them from Lyanna, not rope or wire, which could cause damage.

[00:36:22]The other thing we're going to have to do is check the traps regularly.

[00:36:28]Over the next few days, we set traps in a couple of other promising sites. Then it was just a waiting game.

[00:36:52]>> Thomas spent his time talking to the locals. Most of them had stories to tell about tree crocodiles. Were they true?

[00:37:00]Or were they just telling Thomas what he wanted to hear?

[00:37:06]>> As for me, every day I went to check the traps. But it was a pretty depressing task. They were always empty.

[00:37:23]Yensu had appeared to be our best bet.

[00:37:26]Thomas had told me this was where we were almost certain to see a big tree crocodile, but I just couldn't see it happening.

[00:37:37]>> Thomas, >> oh my, there you are. How was it going?

[00:37:41]>> Pretty bad. There's nothing taking the bait. There weren't even any tracks today. So >> I don't know. I've got a limited amount of time.

[00:37:49]>> Yeah.

[00:37:51]>> No, not that much.

[00:37:52]>> No, I've seen hardly any ground dwelling birds, right? Which is a major source of food for them.

[00:37:57]>> We've had hardly any lizards in. We've had a few, but hardly any. Even if there is a big tree crocodile out there, it must have a massive territory.

[00:38:05]>> We're looking for a needle in the hastack, Thomas.

[00:38:07]>> The animals are certainly there. The people have seen them.

[00:38:10]>> We had several good reports, as you know. But of course it's a very large area and the forest everything is hidden.

[00:38:16]>> The only other place we've had decent reports is Talawati, right? And I know it's a long way. But I I think we've got to cut our losses here and move out.

[00:38:23]>> Yeah.

[00:38:23]>> Yeah.

[00:38:24]>> Yeah.

[00:38:26]>> Sorry. I'm just a bit fed up. All right.

[00:38:29]>> Sorry for that.

[00:38:30]>> That's all right.

[00:38:31]>> I'll just get myself cleaned up, get changed. All right. Okay then. See you later.

[00:38:37]>> After dismantling our traps, we set off on the long journey to Salawati's east coast.

[00:38:46]I don't really know where we are. We're headed coming in from the coast from Salawati into a major river system.

[00:38:53]Everybody else is asleep.

[00:38:56]The rainforest is an incredible place.

[00:38:59]You go in there and for the first 15 minutes you can you can taste the oxygen. You can almost smell it. But after that, the humidity hits you and it's a perfect breeding ground for germs. And we're starting to really suffer. Nerd's got a bad eye infection.

[00:39:15]Thomas has got a skin infection. I've got the beginnings of the tropical ulcer. And Pete's just plain shattered.

[00:39:34]We arrived very late at night on the second day of traveling. Word of our visit had got there before us. Even the children were still waiting up to see us.

[00:39:47]>> We've come to see a man called Camarudin. He's a local pig hunter and he has dozens of traps set in the forest nearby.

[00:39:56]He tells us that he regularly catches tree crocodiles in his traps. This is good news, but really bad news is to follow. And finally, uh, he would like to keep it for us, but >> it's already rotten.

[00:40:12]So, he just measure it and then throw it in the water.

[00:40:22]What a shame. This is the worst news can possibly have.

[00:40:28]>> I don't believe what I've just heard.

[00:40:31]Last week, he caught a tree crocodile over 10 ft long. It died in the pig trap. But the worst part is he didn't keep it. He threw it in the river. It could have been the one animal we were after, the longest lizard in the world.

[00:40:47]But there's no evidence.

[00:40:58]Still, tomorrow is another day. And if what Camarudin says is true, then at least we're in the right area.

[00:41:09]And things look promising as soon as we get into the forest. There are lots more animals for a start. Megap birds. Their eggs, which they lay in these huge nesting mounds, are a favorite food of lizards.

[00:41:34]Let's get this snooze past.

[00:41:38]>> God, what a snake.

[00:41:39]>> That's huge. I've >> never seen This is an olive python, isn't it? I've never seen one. And we like the size of this.

[00:41:45]>> Fortunately, this huge olive python is unharmed.

[00:41:48]>> It can't have been in the trap for long.

[00:41:50]And it's a good thing Thomas and I are with the hunter. Normally, a python this big would end up in the cooking pot.

[00:41:56]>> There we are. He's happier now.

[00:41:58]>> It's okay. He's got my arm. That'll give him something to grab on to.

[00:42:01]>> He's an old wound here.

[00:42:02]>> Oh, yes.

[00:42:03]>> But it's okay.

[00:42:04]>> He doesn't seem to be hurt.

[00:42:05]>> Well, he's gone through a lot of things in his life.

[00:42:07]>> Yeah.

[00:42:08]>> But this is wonderful.

[00:42:09]>> Yeah.

[00:42:10]>> It's well fed.

[00:42:10]>> Yeah.

[00:42:11]>> So, uh, >> let him go.

[00:42:12]>> Yeah. I think we just let him go now.

[00:42:14]>> Okay. Okay. Off you go.

[00:42:21]>> It's a massive snake, and that's another good sign. If a snake can grow to this size, then lizards can probably reach large sizes, too.

[00:42:34]Despite all the disappointment so far, I'm feeling more hopeful.

[00:42:39]Everything's really big around here, even the millipedes.

[00:42:57]Thomas.

[00:42:58]>> It's a tree crocodile.

[00:43:04]>> Yeah.

[00:43:04]>> It's not the giant we're after, but he is a tree crocodile.

[00:43:08]>> Do that moose.

[00:43:11]>> Those claws are sharp. Yeah.

[00:43:13]>> Trying to open the moose. Okay, here we are.

[00:43:15]>> Get him on the floor.

[00:43:18]Well, this is fantastic. You know, when I came out here, I wasn't really sure if I was going to see one of these. This is a real treat.

[00:43:27]>> And you can see why the locals call them the star lizard. Just look at that beautiful patterning. That's it. Calm down, mate. You're not going anywhere.

[00:43:36]He's been in the wars a bit. This nose here is quite badly injured, but it's healed well, and he probably had a fight with another lizard, but he's a survivor.

[00:43:46]He must be >> He must be almost 6 feet, Thomas.

[00:43:50]>> It's got this huge tail. That's where the length in their body is. This tail they use for climbing around the trees.

[00:44:01]Look at that. H. That's incredible. Do you see how all the loose skin on his body has been taken up and his flesh has filled it and his body's become a flat plate? Now, do you remember telling me that you'd seen them flying from tree to tree?

[00:44:18]>> Yeah. About 45°.

[00:44:19]>> Yeah. That's their parachute.

[00:44:21]>> Mhm.

[00:44:21]>> Yeah.

[00:44:22]>> Look at that. It's huge. Look.

[00:44:28]>> The moment we came into this forest, I could hear more birds. We saw more animals. I just knew in my bones that it was a good place. And there's no reason that this little fellow of 6 feet, well, that's not really that small in terms of lizards. That's still a big lizard.

[00:44:43]There's no reason he shouldn't grow to 11 12 ft. Look after yourself.

[00:45:03]What a find. It's a spectacular lizard.

[00:45:06]This makes up for everything we've been through. And now we know where their stronghold is. Thomas can really start to find out more about these incredible animals.

[00:45:22]One thing's for sure, unlike his heavy cousin, the Komodo dragon, he's long and graceful, perfectly adapted to life in the trees.

[00:45:39]As he climbs, you can see just how long his amazing tail is. That's where the length is.

[00:45:48]We're starting to lose him. You'd never spot him up in the canopy if you didn't know he was there.

[00:46:00]>> While we were away in the forest, word of our search has spread around the village.

[00:46:11]The lady who lives in this house tells us a big lizard's been coming into her garden.

[00:46:17]She doesn't know whether it's a tree crocodile, but from the description she gives us, it's definitely worth checking out.

[00:46:26]The house is surrounded by thick bush and it's going to be difficult to spot the animal, but it's good for the lizard. There's plenty of ground cover and plenty of food.

[00:46:42]And there he is. It's definitely a tree crocodile.

[00:47:19]He's big, about 8 ft long, but he's in very poor condition. That's why he's come into the village. He's so hungry, he can't resist the chance of an easy meal.

[00:47:52]Just like a snake, he bides his time, waiting for a chance to strike.

[00:48:15]It's been a great end to my trip. Two tree crocodiles and one around 8 ft long. According to the locals, they grow bigger. I believe them. And it's a matter of time before Thomas proves that they're the longest lizards in the world.

[00:48:45]>> I'm heading home now, but I'll be back when he finds the big one. It's out there somewhere.

[00:49:04]The work Thomas is doing is really important. Proof that there's a remarkable lizard on these remote islands may help save the forests. But it's a race against time.

[00:49:16]One thing's certain, the Thomas' of this world need all the help they can get.

[00:49:42]to lae way.