As the festive spirit of Hari Raya Aidilfitri swept across the country last week, countless Malaysians made their way back to their hometowns, leaving their homes vacant for several days. In preparation for the long absence, most would have taken precautionary steps locking doors, securing windows, setting alarms, and activating CCTV systems all in hopes of preventing any intrusions.

However, while these measures might keep burglars at bay, they don't always deter wildlife from sneaking in.

This was exactly what happened to TikTok user @zuraidanayan, who shared an unexpected post-Raya shock on her account. After being away for nine days to celebrate the festive season, she returned to discover that a monitor lizard had made itself very much at home in her house.

Watch on TikTok

"Tragedy after returning from Raya. A different kind of 'foreigner' checked into our house for nine days," she wrote humorously in her caption.

In the comments, she explained that the reptile had likely gained entry through an open window in the kitchen. Her suspicion was confirmed by the state of the house messy and disorganized and later supported by footage captured on her homes CCTV.

But the chaos didn't stop at scattered items. The lizard also defecated throughout the house and, to her disbelief, even opened the microwave. "I cried when I saw the kitchen. What really got me was that it managed to open the microwave the plate inside was completely shattered," she said.

A video uploaded to her account showed members of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) responding to the incident and successfully capturing the monitor lizard in one of the bedrooms. Impressively, one of the officers caught the creature with nothing more than a grip on its tail a move that viewers praised for its professionalism.

Another clip showed the lizard climbing onto a sofa in what appeared to be the living room. It could be seen scratching at a window, seemingly attempting to escape. When that failed, the reptile calmly settled next to it, appearing completely at ease.

Watch on TikTok

Netizens flocked to the comments to share their reactions many amused by the strange turn of events, while others admitted feeling uneasy at the thought of a lizard making itself at home in someone's house.

One thing's for sure: it was a homecoming Zuraida will never forget.