One Tail Versus Five and Wins!

Speedy, my faithful companion of many years discovers an intruder

Sounds the alarm and brings in reinforcements
"Charley can handle it while I protect his rearguard" He seems to say

Man! That guy looks MEAN!

The standoff with the farm dogs - 5 In total - lasted almost an hour. In that time I was able to go right up to this huge Leguwaan, or Monitor Lizard - In English - and study him at a range of less than a meter! I was however, very careful to approach from his head and stay well clear of his tail! I heard of people landing up with broken wrists or arms trying to catch far smaller Leguwaans than this fellow. I think this one could probably have broken a leg should he have tried.
He could never have reached this size had he not been "wise" to the world and its ways

I restrained the dogs at the beginning of the encounter but he had already outwitted them before I even arrived to investigate the barking. He realized that if he ran, the pack would have been on him in a second

All he did was stand as still as a statue. If one of the dogs moved in on him he shot his powerful tail along the ground in a slashing arc and the dog retreated!

The dogs had by now got over the excitement and were sitting or lying in a wide circle around us, as I squatted at his head and chatted to him gently

He really was a magnificent creature!

Afterwards I measured the width of the walkway. Three meters - 10 feet - from concrete slab to concrete slab and the tip of his tail still overlapped it a bit!

I eventually called the dogs away from him and took them some distance off and watched as he returned my gaze turning in the direction of the dam and safety

I met him again a few weeks later when a few of the dogs cornered him in the compressor room. I went inside to see what it was and found him looking up at me. He again showed no fear or aggression

I called the dogs away and watched as he, without haste walked off to safety is if he had not a care in the world!