Caught on Trail Cam: Rare Bird Crosses Paths With Huge Lizard

Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation recently shared a trail-cam video showing an impressive bird and a large monitor lizard crossing paths in the Katun Wildlife Sanctuary. The bird is a great argus (Argusianus argus), and this species is famous for the males’ impressive tail feathers and mating displays, similar to peacocks.

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In the video, the great argus walks past the camera, then realizes a lizard is coming, so it scoots into the bushes to make way. The lizard slowly ambles past the camera, flicking its tongue in and out as it “smells” the air. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation labels this moment one of “interspecies friendship.” It shows how two very different species share the same space.

The great argus is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, making a sighting like this fairly rare.

See the moment a rare bird and a big lizard cross paths on a trail cam here:

Header stock image by Thipwan/Getty Images

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