After three months of tracking the health and progress of Anguilla’s Lesser Antillean iguanas on Prickly Pear East after they were re-introduced onto the island on 9 February 2016, the Anguilla National Trust (ANT) is pleased to announce that the reintroduction strategy has been a success.
In February, the ANT, with local supporters, international partners including the University of Roehampton, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and Fauna & Flora International, and with funds provided by the International Iguana Foundation and the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, attached radio transmitters to nine native iguanas and released them onto Prickly Pear East. ANT staff and volunteers used a radio receiver and antenna to track the movements of the iguanas on a weekly basis, noting their health status and changes in appearance. By April 21, being comfortable that the iguanas had settled into their new homes well, the ANT removed all radio transmitters from the individuals and an additional three native iguanas were released onto the island. This reintroduction initiative marks the first of its kind in the Lesser Antilles and was carefully monitored by the ANT and its international partners.
To mark the end of this first phase in the ANT’s iguana species recovery programme, the organisation hosted the first annual Anguilla Iguana Day festivities last Saturday 30 April. The day began with a hike around Cove Pond. Open to all members of the public, the hike traced the Pond’s coastline with hikers looking for the invasive common green iguana in the surrounding mangrove. In the afternoon, the ANT was joined by colleagues from Les Fruits de Mer, an environmental education not-for-profit agency based in French St. Martin and hosted dozens of individuals at the Department of Agriculture grounds for free family-friendly activities. Activities included mask-making, kite-making, colouring, face painting by Canita Ruan of Canita’s Face and Body Art, and games. Funding for Anguilla Iguana Day was provided by the International Iguana Foundation and the Rufford Small Grant for Nature.
The ANT wishes to thank residents of Anguilla for their assistance over the last year with this important work and particularly the landowners of Prickly Pear East, Alan Ruan and his staff at Prickly Pear Restaurant, all of the individuals who helped with caring for the iguanas while they were being held before their release, the Department of Environment for providing funds for the construction of housing for the iguanas, staff at the Department of Agriculture for providing resources and time to ensure that the iguanas were safe while be housed on their grounds, Dr. Patrick Vanterpool for his advice and help with the care of the animals, and the volunteers who helped ANT staff to locate and assess the health status of the iguanas that were reintroduced to Prickly Pear East.
While Anguilla Iguana Day marks the end of the first phase of the ANT’s Lesser Antillean iguana conservation programme, the ANT is committed to continuing to work with communities and partners to build native iguana population numbers on Prickly Pear East; the ANT is currently seeking additional funds to maintain its species recovery work.
Anyone seeing an iguana on either the mainland or Prickly Pear East, especially a Lesser Antillean iguana, is encouraged to contact the ANT at 497 5297 or to visit the ANT office located next the Dental Clinic in The Valley.
