Giant Lizard Climbing Supermarket Shelves

2021Viral video / reaction imagedead

Also known as: 7-Eleven Lizard · Godzilla Lizard · Thailand Monitor Lizard

Giant Lizard Climbing Supermarket Shelves is a viral 2021 video of a six-foot Asian water monitor storming a Thai 7-Eleven and scaling shelves as shoppers fled in terror, captured by customer Narumpa Tangsin.

Giant Lizard Climbing Supermarket Shelves is a viral video from April 2021 showing a six-foot Asian water monitor lizard storming a 7-Eleven in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, and scaling the store's shelves while terrified shoppers watched. The footage, filmed by customer Narumpa Tangsin, spread across Twitter with tens of millions of views in under 48 hours, boosted by its coincidental timing with the release of *Godzilla vs. Kong*.

reptile memesanimal memesstreet footage memesaccidental fame memesreaction memes

Overview

The video captures a massive monitor lizard inside a brightly lit 7-Eleven convenience store, clawing at a chilled drinks cabinet before turning its attention to the product shelves2. As the reptile hauls itself upward, rows of neatly stacked cartons and bottles crash to the floor while customers scream and laugh in the background1. The lizard eventually reaches the top shelf, where it settles near an ice machine, flicking its tongue as if surveying its conquered territory6.

Asian water monitors are the second-largest lizard species in the world, behind only Komodo dragons, and can grow to nearly six feet in length1. They're common in Thailand's urban canals and ponds, but one raiding a convenience store was unusual enough to send staffers diving behind the counter2.

On April 6, 2021, Facebook user Jejene Narumpa posted the earliest known version of the video, which was shot by Narumpa Tangsin at a 7-Eleven on the outskirts of Bangkok in Nakhon Pathom province4. The post picked up 8,600 shares, 3,000 reactions, and 2,000 comments within its first week4.

Tangsin explained that she had only stopped in to buy a drink but found the giant lizard blocking the drinks aisle2. "They're dangerous animals, especially when they're angry, so I stayed back and recorded it on my phone," she said. "I guess that shops have everything, even for lizards"3.

A store employee told the Daily Mail that the monitor lizard occupied the shop for a full hour before police arrived with reptile handlers2. The handlers dragged the animal out and ushered it into nearby undergrowth, though they didn't actually catch it. "I've never seen a monitor lizard that big in my life, so it was a surprise for one to come in the shop," the employee said2.

The lizard had emerged from a nearby canal and was believed to be struggling to find food after months of dry weather with little rain1.

Origin & Background

Platform
Facebook (original post), Twitter (viral spread)
Key People
Narumpa Tangsin, Jejene Narumpa
Date
2021

On April 6, 2021, Facebook user Jejene Narumpa posted the earliest known version of the video, which was shot by Narumpa Tangsin at a 7-Eleven on the outskirts of Bangkok in Nakhon Pathom province. The post picked up 8,600 shares, 3,000 reactions, and 2,000 comments within its first week.

Tangsin explained that she had only stopped in to buy a drink but found the giant lizard blocking the drinks aisle. "They're dangerous animals, especially when they're angry, so I stayed back and recorded it on my phone," she said. "I guess that shops have everything, even for lizards".

A store employee told the Daily Mail that the monitor lizard occupied the shop for a full hour before police arrived with reptile handlers. The handlers dragged the animal out and ushered it into nearby undergrowth, though they didn't actually catch it. "I've never seen a monitor lizard that big in my life, so it was a surprise for one to come in the shop," the employee said.

The lizard had emerged from a nearby canal and was believed to be struggling to find food after months of dry weather with little rain.

How It Spread

The video exploded across social media on April 7, 2021, one day after the original Facebook post. The Daily Mail published the first major news report, naming Tangsin as the person behind the camera. That same day, Twitter user @torben_kassler posted the clip with the caption "Me when someone shows up in the supermarket without a mask," earning 9.1 million views, 57,000 likes, and 19,000 retweets within a week.

Also on April 7, Twitter user @danajiru shared the footage and surpassed even those numbers, pulling in over 10 million views, 360,000 likes, and 25,000 retweets in less than two days. A third viral tweet from @amandawtwong shared a photo of Tangsin posing for a selfie with the lizard in the background, writing "I like that the lady who made the video also took a selfie with the giant lizard." That post earned 109,000 likes and 10,000 retweets in under 48 hours.

On YouTube, the account Viral Press published the video and racked up over 300,000 views in two days. On Reddit, user flyart posted it to r/WTF, where it hit 52,000 upvotes (94% upvoted) with 2,300 comments.

The timing was perfect. *Godzilla vs. Kong* had hit U.S. theaters and HBO Max just a week earlier, and social media users ran with the comparison. "Godzilla is real guys," wrote one commenter. "Is he doing a promo for the movie Godzilla vs Kong?" asked another. Major outlets including NBC News, The Washington Post, The Independent, Complex, Newsweek, and The Daily Dot all covered the story.

How to Use This Meme

The Giant Lizard Climbing Supermarket Shelves video is typically deployed in two ways:

As a reaction video: Share the clip or a still frame to express chaotic energy, unhinged behavior in public spaces, or the feeling of being completely unbothered while causing destruction. The lizard sprawled comfortably on top of the shelves it just wrecked is the money shot.

As a captioned meme: Add a "Me when..." caption to the video or a screenshot. The original viral tweet format ("Me when someone shows up in the supermarket without a mask") set the template. Common setups include any situation where someone barges into a space where they clearly don't belong, causes havoc, and then acts completely relaxed about it.

The selfie image of Tangsin posing with the lizard in the background also works as a standalone reaction image for "this is fine" or "casual chaos" situations.

Cultural Impact

The video's timing alongside the *Godzilla vs. Kong* theatrical release gave it an extra boost, with dozens of Godzilla-themed captions and remixes. NBC News featured the footage on its website, while Newsweek ran a story with the headline "Gigantic Lizard Climbs Supermarket Shelves in Horrifying Video".

The incident also drew attention to the reality of urban wildlife encounters in Southeast Asia. The Independent noted that water monitors are commonplace in Thailand, and in 2020 a disturbing case in southern Thailand involved the lizards and a deceased infant, though investigators couldn't determine the sequence of events. Newsweek pointed out similar incidents, including a crocodile monitor lizard appearing in a California man's backyard in 2017 and a giant water monitor spotted traversing Bangkok's sewage system beneath a sidewalk grate in 2015.

Fun Facts

The lizard tried to open a chilled drinks cabinet before giving up and climbing the shelves instead.

Despite spending an hour rampaging through the store, the lizard didn't manage to steal any food.

The unusually large creature was driven indoors by months of drought that depleted its normal food sources of fish, snakes, frogs, and human food scraps.

Monitor lizards have a "mildly venomous" bite that can also carry harmful bacteria.

Tangsin took a selfie with the lizard in the background, which itself went viral as a separate image.

Frequently Asked Questions

Giant Lizard Climbing Supermarket Shelves

2021Viral video / reaction imagedead

Also known as: 7-Eleven Lizard · Godzilla Lizard · Thailand Monitor Lizard

Giant Lizard Climbing Supermarket Shelves is a viral 2021 video of a six-foot Asian water monitor storming a Thai 7-Eleven and scaling shelves as shoppers fled in terror, captured by customer Narumpa Tangsin.

Giant Lizard Climbing Supermarket Shelves is a viral video from April 2021 showing a six-foot Asian water monitor lizard storming a 7-Eleven in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, and scaling the store's shelves while terrified shoppers watched. The footage, filmed by customer Narumpa Tangsin, spread across Twitter with tens of millions of views in under 48 hours, boosted by its coincidental timing with the release of *Godzilla vs. Kong*.

reptile memes animal memes street footage memes accidental fame memes reaction memes

Overview

The video captures a massive monitor lizard inside a brightly lit 7-Eleven convenience store, clawing at a chilled drinks cabinet before turning its attention to the product shelves. As the reptile hauls itself upward, rows of neatly stacked cartons and bottles crash to the floor while customers scream and laugh in the background. The lizard eventually reaches the top shelf, where it settles near an ice machine, flicking its tongue as if surveying its conquered territory.

Asian water monitors are the second-largest lizard species in the world, behind only Komodo dragons, and can grow to nearly six feet in length. They're common in Thailand's urban canals and ponds, but one raiding a convenience store was unusual enough to send staffers diving behind the counter.

On April 6, 2021, Facebook user Jejene Narumpa posted the earliest known version of the video, which was shot by Narumpa Tangsin at a 7-Eleven on the outskirts of Bangkok in Nakhon Pathom province. The post picked up 8,600 shares, 3,000 reactions, and 2,000 comments within its first week.

Tangsin explained that she had only stopped in to buy a drink but found the giant lizard blocking the drinks aisle. "They're dangerous animals, especially when they're angry, so I stayed back and recorded it on my phone," she said. "I guess that shops have everything, even for lizards".

A store employee told the Daily Mail that the monitor lizard occupied the shop for a full hour before police arrived with reptile handlers. The handlers dragged the animal out and ushered it into nearby undergrowth, though they didn't actually catch it. "I've never seen a monitor lizard that big in my life, so it was a surprise for one to come in the shop," the employee said.

The lizard had emerged from a nearby canal and was believed to be struggling to find food after months of dry weather with little rain.

Origin & Background

Platform
Facebook (original post), Twitter (viral spread)
Key People
Narumpa Tangsin, Jejene Narumpa
Date
2021

On April 6, 2021, Facebook user Jejene Narumpa posted the earliest known version of the video, which was shot by Narumpa Tangsin at a 7-Eleven on the outskirts of Bangkok in Nakhon Pathom province. The post picked up 8,600 shares, 3,000 reactions, and 2,000 comments within its first week.

Tangsin explained that she had only stopped in to buy a drink but found the giant lizard blocking the drinks aisle. "They're dangerous animals, especially when they're angry, so I stayed back and recorded it on my phone," she said. "I guess that shops have everything, even for lizards".

A store employee told the Daily Mail that the monitor lizard occupied the shop for a full hour before police arrived with reptile handlers. The handlers dragged the animal out and ushered it into nearby undergrowth, though they didn't actually catch it. "I've never seen a monitor lizard that big in my life, so it was a surprise for one to come in the shop," the employee said.

The lizard had emerged from a nearby canal and was believed to be struggling to find food after months of dry weather with little rain.

How It Spread

The video exploded across social media on April 7, 2021, one day after the original Facebook post. The Daily Mail published the first major news report, naming Tangsin as the person behind the camera. That same day, Twitter user @torben_kassler posted the clip with the caption "Me when someone shows up in the supermarket without a mask," earning 9.1 million views, 57,000 likes, and 19,000 retweets within a week.

Also on April 7, Twitter user @danajiru shared the footage and surpassed even those numbers, pulling in over 10 million views, 360,000 likes, and 25,000 retweets in less than two days. A third viral tweet from @amandawtwong shared a photo of Tangsin posing for a selfie with the lizard in the background, writing "I like that the lady who made the video also took a selfie with the giant lizard." That post earned 109,000 likes and 10,000 retweets in under 48 hours.

On YouTube, the account Viral Press published the video and racked up over 300,000 views in two days. On Reddit, user flyart posted it to r/WTF, where it hit 52,000 upvotes (94% upvoted) with 2,300 comments.

The timing was perfect. *Godzilla vs. Kong* had hit U.S. theaters and HBO Max just a week earlier, and social media users ran with the comparison. "Godzilla is real guys," wrote one commenter. "Is he doing a promo for the movie Godzilla vs Kong?" asked another. Major outlets including NBC News, The Washington Post, The Independent, Complex, Newsweek, and The Daily Dot all covered the story.

How to Use This Meme

The Giant Lizard Climbing Supermarket Shelves video is typically deployed in two ways:

As a reaction video: Share the clip or a still frame to express chaotic energy, unhinged behavior in public spaces, or the feeling of being completely unbothered while causing destruction. The lizard sprawled comfortably on top of the shelves it just wrecked is the money shot.

As a captioned meme: Add a "Me when..." caption to the video or a screenshot. The original viral tweet format ("Me when someone shows up in the supermarket without a mask") set the template. Common setups include any situation where someone barges into a space where they clearly don't belong, causes havoc, and then acts completely relaxed about it.

The selfie image of Tangsin posing with the lizard in the background also works as a standalone reaction image for "this is fine" or "casual chaos" situations.

Cultural Impact

The video's timing alongside the *Godzilla vs. Kong* theatrical release gave it an extra boost, with dozens of Godzilla-themed captions and remixes. NBC News featured the footage on its website, while Newsweek ran a story with the headline "Gigantic Lizard Climbs Supermarket Shelves in Horrifying Video".

The incident also drew attention to the reality of urban wildlife encounters in Southeast Asia. The Independent noted that water monitors are commonplace in Thailand, and in 2020 a disturbing case in southern Thailand involved the lizards and a deceased infant, though investigators couldn't determine the sequence of events. Newsweek pointed out similar incidents, including a crocodile monitor lizard appearing in a California man's backyard in 2017 and a giant water monitor spotted traversing Bangkok's sewage system beneath a sidewalk grate in 2015.

Fun Facts

The lizard tried to open a chilled drinks cabinet before giving up and climbing the shelves instead.

Despite spending an hour rampaging through the store, the lizard didn't manage to steal any food.

The unusually large creature was driven indoors by months of drought that depleted its normal food sources of fish, snakes, frogs, and human food scraps.

Monitor lizards have a "mildly venomous" bite that can also carry harmful bacteria.

Tangsin took a selfie with the lizard in the background, which itself went viral as a separate image.

Frequently Asked Questions