Zoo Buddy: Nile Monitor Lizards!

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Meet Rah! He’s a Nile monitor lizard at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe.

They’re known to be intense predators with fast speeds, sharp teeth, and powerful tails to strike intruders.

Zookeeper Wade Jones says they are good climbers, too.

He says they are known for raiding alligator nests for eggs, but it’s a cycle of life because alligators also eat Nile monitors.

They have a forked tongue that they use to smell the air around them.

Many people will get them as pets when they’re just a few inches long, but General Curator Lisa Taylor says it’s not recommended because they will grow to a few feet long and be hard to care for.

Jones says they’re another example of an invasive species in Florida.

The zoo is projecting that construction on the new Louisiana Purchase exhibit will be finished in the spring of 2026.

While construction continues on the new Louisiana Purchase Exhibit, the Reptile Building is closed.

Until then, you can request some reptiles at educational programs or birthday parties, or you might just see one at the zoo when staff are taking them on a stroll.

Call 318-329-2400 for more information.

You can also volunteer with the zoo. Contact the Louisiana Purchase Zoological Society through their Facebook page.

The zoo is open every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can get tickets to feed the budgies, feed the tortoises, ride the boat, or ride the train at the front office.

Click here for a breakdown of their prices.