Most of us would probably run away at the sight of a monitor lizard, but after seeing one with a tin can stuck on its head, blindly attempting to cross the road, this young man put his fear aside and became its hero.

In a viral video posted by @SenawangTV on Twitter, a man decked out in his pink baju melayu, possibly on his way to celebrate Hari Raya, was seen carefully approaching the monitor lizard that badly needed his assistance to remove the blockage.

Sebab tu kita tak boleh buang sampah merata. Biawak ni boleh mati kerana sukar bernafas atau tak boleh makan.

Apa pun terbaiklah bro kacak berbaju raya ni. 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/7vHk42e6tK

— #TeamRayaSenawang™️🇲🇾 (@SenawangTV) May 25, 2020

The man made several attempts at pulling the tin can off the poor animal’s head but was startled every time it made any sudden movements.

Photo: Twitter @SenawangTV

Finally, he managed to yank off the can and quickly moved away from the monitor lizard to safety.

The video has gotten more than 13,000 retweets and was shared across social media platforms, inviting comments from netizens who were amazed at the young man’s selflessness and bravery.

Steadyyy! Dah macam nak tangkap ular dah.

— Ahmad Afiq (@afiq4izul) May 25, 2020

Aaaaaaaa.... kenapa aku pulak tetiba rasa nk jerit sbb takut...

— فضلين زاهيره (@LynnZahirah) May 25, 2020

Ya Allah tin tu dah la tajam mesti muka dia luka luka. Do not litter!! Kalau buang sampah tu pls la ikat elok elok and place it kat tempat sepatutnya.

— 𝒫𝒾𝓅𝓈𝓎 (@afyfahzamrii) May 25, 2020

His courageous act was also commended by the Malaysian Animal Association (MAA) who thanked him and hoped that his actions will inspire Malaysians to care for animals too.

“He did the right thing and it was very commendable. Although the animal he assisted is categorized as a wild animal, there is no reason that we cannot help them,” said MAA president, Arie Dwi Andika, when contacted by Bernama today.

"We are very proud that Malaysians have this awareness," said Arie.

There is no further information on the young man but Arie also said that the association would like to offer the 'Noble Animal Malaysia' award for the man's efforts to save the monitor lizard.

Well done to this young man! Let this incident be a reminder to everyone to not litter so to avoid endangering these poor animals.

By: Siti Farhana Sheikh Yahya