FLUSHING — Police officers from the 109th Precinct rescued a 9-pound female reptile — dubbed "Master Shredder" after the archvillain of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" — following a possible attack by a raccoon, authorities said.
An NYPD spokesman said the Savannah monitor — which was originally, incorrectly described by authorities as a Komodo dragon — was found on Feb. 28 after police received a call from inside 35-05 167th St. at around 8 p.m.
Deputy Inspector Thomas Conforti of the 109th Precinct quizzed Twitter followers about what kind of mysterious creature they caught in a photo of its tail sticking out of a large garbage can.
"Is it an iguana?" "A giant mouse?" "An opossum?" Twitter users asked the 109th Precinct after it posted the picture.
No job is routine in the #109Pct - Can anyone guess what residents were holding for us under this trash can? pic.twitter.com/5ZYKxw3IVp
— NYPD 109th Precinct (@NYPD109Pct) March 23, 2016
The tail, according to authorities, belonged to the enormous lizard.
The reptile, which had multiple bite wounds in her mouth after apparently fighting with another animal, was taken to Central Veterinary Associates in Valley Stream, where she is now recovering from surgery.
The staff at the veterinary hospital named her "Master Shredder" because she likes to chew on newspapers, according to Dr. John Charos, who works at the center.
"She may have gotten into a fight with a raccoon since she came in with a lot of bite wounds," Charos said. "She had an infection going on and since it was a bit too cold out there for her, her metabolism was slow."
Charos added that Shredder may have been someone's pet before she escaped because she is "very, very docile."
According to the doctor, the reptile is still taking antibiotics, but when she gets better the clinic might try to find her a new home.
"She came in weighing 9.25 pounds, now she weighs 11", said Charos. "She's been eating lots of vegetables."
EDITOR'S NOTE: Police initially believed "Master Shredder" was a Komodo dragon, but Central Veterinary Associates said she is actually a Savannah monitor.
