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Part 3 of Anegada Series
Part 3 of Anegada Series
Today we return to the Caribbean isle of Anegada. Now where were we?
Rows of wood frame cages stood timidly in the scorching Caribbean sun. They were built only a year ago but already they were showing some serious signs of wear. Their plywood frames were warped and sun-bleached and their padlocks and hinges had nearly rusted through in places. The tropical heat and salt air tries hard to reclaim manmade structures here. Inside each cage, small iguanas sat sunning themselves or resting in shade of PVC pipes. Some of them were tiny, with a distinct striped pattern that helps with camouflage out in the "bush." In these cages, however, they were conspicuous -- significantly more ornate than their adult comrades.
Rows of enclosures at the "head-start" facility.
Linus, one of the local keepers, opens one of the plywood doors, sending the reptile occupants scampering up the sides and back of the enclosure. He places a handful of chopped vegetables into the small plate in the center of the cage and then swiftly closes it shut.
"You have to be careful or they will get out," he warns. He then proceeded to regale me with a story of how one escaped not long ago and they chased it all over the facility until they caught it again. On other occasions, he recalls, they weren't as lucky and the escapee disappeared into the adjacent shrubland. Nevertheless, a couple undaunted adults still linger near the facility, collecting the food that falls from the cages to the limestone crusted ground below.
Welcome to the "head-start facility" on the island of Anegada. It's mission: to raise these endangered iguana juveniles so that they are large enough to survive the many perils that exist on Anegada. In other words, the goal behind caging these iguanas is nothing short of saving this species.
This facility, co-operated by the National Parks Trust of the BVI and the Fort Worth Zoo is the best hope these animals have of surviving. Every nesting season, conservation staff and volunteers successfully find wild iguana nests and surround each with steel flashing to contain the hatchlings once they emerge, at least long enough for them to be captured. Then, these young iguanas are transported to the facility and placed in cages with their brothers and sisters of a similar size. With so many perils facing them in the wild, it is imperative that these animals grow to at least 400 grams, weighing nearly a pound before they are released. Raising these lizards to reach that size can take years, however. If they are released too soon though, the chances of them being killed by snakes, kestrels, feral cats, or some other predator is alarmingly high.
Signage out front of the "head-start" facility.
Juvenile Anegada iguana. Take note of the dorsal coloration.
Similar "head-start" operations are being conducted on islands throughout the Caribbean, essentially on every island you can find iguana species. Some of these operations have been more successful than others. Here on Anegada, the facility has doubled the population in a little over 10 years (from 200 to 400 wild adults). "The head-start program has been a great success," emphasized Kelly Bradley, a researcher and conservation biologist who has been working with this species for over a decade. However, she also admits that they have a long way to go to save this species. After all, it was not that long ago that thousands of iguanas roamed this island. When explorers first landed here, they humorously remarked in their logs that you could scarcely walk across the island without stepping on one.
Obviously, that is no longer the case and without this head-start program, it is likely this species would be extinct in just a few short decades. These iguanas, like so many others, simply would not survive without continued human intervention. Tragically though, the long term survival of this species remains precarious, even with this program. Future climatic changes, more powerful hurricanes, and rising sea levels all further threaten this already critically endangered species. After all, Anegada is barely more than a few meters in elevation at its highest point, and is thus highly vulnerable to both gradual sea level rise and cataclysmic storm surges.
Nevertheless, the people of Anegada and the organizations dedicated to the conservation of this species care deeply about these large reptiles. Hopefully, with continued effort and ingenuity, this island's mascot is here to stay.
When we return to the island of Anegada next year, we will journey into the Anegada iguana's remote and disappearing habitat. Stay tuned.
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