This is a Nile Monitor (Varanus Niloticus). I was thrilled to catch it today with the help of some Ghanaian friends. It had run up from the river, into our yard, and was hiding behind some wood leading against our house.
The monster measured almost a yard in length and was actually much more docile than I expected. It allowed me to pose it for a Mampruli Dictionary photo in the back of our truck.
The watchmen were adamant about killing it and cooking it. So I insisted that I at least get a cut of the meat so that we could try it (we’ll try about any insect, mammal or reptile). They gave me the tail which I grilled up with some fish for dinner. I didn’t add any seasoning at all so that we could get a good sense of what it tasted like.
It was delicious! No, it didn’t taste like chicken. Closest thing I could compare it to would be gator meat.