Baby girl mauled by monitor lizard

Kuala Lumpur - A baby girl suffered head injuries on Tuesday after being attacked by a monitor lizard on a resort island in southern Malaysia, a news report said.

The 8-month-old suffered deep cuts to her forehead during the attack on Tioman Island in the state of Pahang, 240km south-east of Kuala Lumpur, the New Straits Times reported.

The mother, an employee at a resort, checked on the infant after hearing a loud noise in the workers' quarters and was shocked to see a monitor lizard clawing her baby's head, the report said.

The infant was rushed to a nearby clinic for emergency treatment, and transferred to a hospital on the mainland, where she was under observation.

Tioman Island is a densely forested and sparsely inhabited island popular among local and foreign tourists for its dive spots.