Ledyard — A monitor lizard first spotted in town in early July was shot and killed Sunday afternoon after police said it was killing chickens in a coop on Shewville Road.

Police said they received a 911 call at about 3:27 p.m. from a resident reporting that she believed an “alligator” was in her chicken coop.

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.