A goanna is recovering from a nasty stomach-ache after gulping down six golf balls during a raid on a chicken coop in northern New South Wales.
The lace monitor, dubbed Tiger, broke into an enclosure in Billinudgel near Byron Bay and devoured the six balls as well as three eggs.
The owner had placed the balls into the boxes to encourage his chooks to lay there.
When he noticed the balls had disappeared he called wildlife rescue group WIRES, who discovered the engorged Tiger close by and took him away for help.
WIRES rescuer Martin Fitzgerald said lace monitors were opportunistic feeders.
"When he comes across a little creche of eggs like that he's in lace monitor heaven," Mr Fitzgerald said.
"We get a fair few calls for lace monitors raiding chook eggs."
He said the goanna's strong stomach acids could melt through the golf ball coverings and cause toxic shock.
Goanna be okay
Currumbin Wildlife Hospital senior veterinarian Michael Pyne said the lizard narrowly avoided going under the knife.
"We thought we'd be going into surgery but in this instance the goanna decided to help us along," he said.
"[It] managed to bring up the golf balls and the eggs overnight," Dr Pyne said.
He said it was uncommon but they had seen carpet pythons try to eat golf balls in exactly the same way.
Dr Pyne is urging chicken owners to make sure their coops are secure to protect both the poultry and native wildlife.
"So that the goannas, the lace monitors can't climb in, have chicken wire small enough such that your carpet pythons can't find their way in as well," he said.
"Then there is nothing to worry about. You don't get any problems."
Mr Fitzgerald suggested chook owners leave a real egg to encourage laying.
"Mark it with a texta or use a bit of food dye if you want to rotate your eggs," he said.
"You certainly want to steer clear of anything wooden or plastic or hard. If it's ingested it will cause a problem for our wildlife," Mr Fitzgerald said.
Tiger was released back into the same area after he had coughed up the golf balls.
