Photo by javier_aznar_photography | Alberto Sánchez, a scientist and curator of the herpetological collection at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, holds a desert monitor (Varanus griseus) that had become trapped in a cistern in Western Sahara. Thousands of animals fall in these water wells throughout Morocco and other countries where water is scarce. What’s good for humans can be a deathtrap for some animals, which can enter these spaces seeking shelter, food, or water. They often die by drowning when the wells fill with water, or by starvation or dehydration when the wells run dry—often in a short time because of the high temperatures reached in these rooms. Follow javier_aznar_photography to see more amazing creatures. #reptiles #conservation #westernsahara #animals