近日，广东中山有市民反映在某公交站台发现一只外形酷似圆鼻巨蜥的大型爬行动物，大概有60厘米长，途经市民纷纷驻足围观拍照。
A specimen of a protected Chinese water monitor was found at a bus stop in Zhongshan, South China's Guangdong province, prompting an official investigation into its origin.
现场，不少过路市民好奇地围拢观察、拍摄。一名市民上前触摸后发现，该物体躯体僵硬冰冷，并非活体，众人纷纷猜测这或许是市民遗弃的宠物。
目击者尹先生表示自己为林学专业出身，一眼识别出该物种是国家一级保护动物圆鼻巨蜥，“刚开始以为是个干尸，很多围观群众说嘴里的舌头没有动，然后拿伞敲了几次也没动，我就给自然资源局打了电话。”
The roughly 60-centimeter-long reptile attracted a crowd of curious onlookers before it was found to be lifeless.
A witness with a forestry background recognized it as a Chinese water monitor, a national first-class protected species, and alerted the local natural resources bureau.
中山市自然资源局森防科工作人员抵达现场后开展勘验，副科长邱海军表示这是五爪金龙的标本，“没有任何标识。正常来说，它应该会有标识卡或者编号。目前该标本暂时放置在局里的救护中心，正在查询其来源，后续将移交到上级主管部门。”
Officials confirmed the animal was a taxidermy specimen. They said it lacked the identification tag or registration number normally required for such specimens.
The specimen has been placed at a wildlife rescue center while authorities investigate its origin before transferring it to the relevant higher-level authorities.
据了解，圆鼻巨蜥俗称水巨蜥、五爪金龙，是我国原生分布最广的大型巨蜥，多栖息于华南水域周边，属国家一级重点保护野生动物。根据《中华人民共和国野生动物保护法》相关规定，私自捕捉、伤害、非法饲养野生圆鼻巨蜥均属违法行为。
The Chinese water monitor is a national first-class protected wild animal in China. Under China's Wildlife Protection Law, illegally capturing, harming or keeping the species is prohibited.
来源：广州日报综合中山日报、DV现场
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