Ledyard — Police on Wednesday arrested the owner of the monitor lizard who was shot and killed last month after it was seen killing chickens in a coop on Shewville Road.

Anthony String, 36, of 128 Spicer Hill Road, Ledyard, was charged with possession of an illegal reptile.

Police said they received a 911 call at about 3:27 p.m. on Aug. 25 from a resident reporting that she believed an "alligator" was in her chicken coop. The monitor lizard was first spotted in town in early July.

Officers from the Ledyard Police Department and animal control responded to the scene and found the lizard attacking chickens. Police said the lizard was between 3 and 4 feet long.

Police said to avoid further risk to livestock, domestic animals and human life, police officers were forced to shoot and kill the animal.

For several months, Ledyard police and animal control have received consistent reports of sightings of the monitor lizard in various locations in the eastern part of Ledyard.

Police said reptiles such as monitor lizards are illegal to own and can be extremely dangerous.

String was issued a summons and is scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court on Sept. 25.