New Delhi - About 100 flights were delayed in one day from the international airport in New Delhi after monitor lizards, jackals and birds strayed on the runway after early monsoons hit the city, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

A family of 1-metre-long monitor lizards were first noticed by a pilot on the secondary runway Monday, after which flights were halted for nearly an hour, the Hindustan Times said.

Further delays were announced after jackals and kites strayed on the secondary runway, which handles aircraft landings, the report said.

There were heavy monsoon rains in Delhi Sunday as the monsoons set in two weeks ahead of schedule, breaking a 108-year-old record.

Airport authorities had to call animal welfare groups for help in removing the wildlife, the Times said.

The groups rescued lizards and chased away the jackals, but all morning flights were delayed by two hours. The problems had a cascading effect on incoming flights in the evening as well with delays of up to three hours.

Few monitor lizards remained at the airport and traps were laid for them, a wildlife official told the daily.

Animal hazards are not unusual at Indian airports and pose a threat to flight safety. In the past, monkeys, jackals and peacocks have disrupted flights at the airport during the monsoon season.

In previous incidents, a rabid dog entered the airport and bit four people before it was captured in a three-hour chase. A monkey also triggered panic at the same airport and delayed an international flight by several hours. (dpa)