VIRGINIAN PILOT (Hampton Roads, Virginia) 26 June 04 Iguanas won at carnival could be no great prize (Louis Hansen)
Virginia Beach: It’s an old carnival game: Throw a ball into a goldfish bowl and win a prize.
Ashlynn Kaufman, 10, would not go home without a prize. Her parents spent $30 on bucket after bucket of plastic balls at the Pungo Strawberry Festival. With a final, lucky flick of the wrist, Ashlynn had her prize – a baby lizard in a small plastic box.
They called him Silly Billy.
When the Kaufmans stopped at the Pungo 7-Eleven on the way home, the store was packed with other lizard-toting children.
Who knew the baby lizards could grow into 6-foot, 20-pound, scale-shedding, dyspeptic, long-living and occasionally belligerent iguanas? And that the little carnie game was illegal in Virginia Beach?
That’s what really ticked off the iguana rescue workers.
Virginia Beach animal control workers visited the festival on its opening night – Friday, May 28.
They spotted the lizard game and warned the carnies that awarding live animals as prizes in the city is a misdemeanor.
“There’s a whole big responsibility for taking care of any animal,” said Wayne Gilbert, the city’s animal control supervisor. “Whether it’s a dog, a cat or an iguana.”
That night, the lizards were the hottest game in Pungo. After the city warning, the carnival workers got creative. They sold the little beasts to winners for a quarter or less.
Jody Cadwell, president of National Events Management in Chesapeake, has booked carnival entertainment for the Strawberry Festival for 14 years. The game’s operator knew he was skirting the law by selling the animals, Cadwell said.
Dozens of fair goers won iguanas. Carnival reps and city officials have no idea how many animals were given away.
Immediately, the phone lines at pet stores lit up.
The carnival life had not suited the iguanas well. Some refused to eat. Others seemed despondent. New iguana parents asked for dietary advice, medical help and adoption opportunities.
One worker at Pet Paradise in Pembroke said she took “a zillion” phone calls after the festival.
Employees at Animal Jungle on Holland Road adopted four baby iguanas. Some were sickly and weak, said Stephen Knoop, an assistant manager. They recovered when fed.
Iguanas are native to Mexico and Central America, where they live in treetops in the rain forest. In captivity, they need direct sunlight or heat lamps to keep their cages above 80 degrees. They thrive on coarsely chopped vegetables and occasional fruit.
They need regular attention and bathing. As adolescents, they often become aggressive and unpredictable. On bad days, they may clamp on a finger and spin their bodies, or gouge into flesh with claws built for tree-climbing.
They can spread salmonella.
As the number of lizard prizes grew, the iguana rescue squad leaped into action.
Cindy Hiddemen, a local reptile advocate, owns three adult iguanas and helps families place unwanted lizards. A fellow iguana lover tipped her off Sunday about the 25-cent lizards.
Hiddemen rushed to the festival and called animal control. As she waited for city officials, she stood by the booth and told parents that the game was illegal, and tried to persuade others to choose stuffed animals.
She believes iguana owners should know what they are getting into. “It doesn’t go with cotton candy and kids,” she said.
Hiddemen said the iguana instructions were flawed, including advice to feed the pet lunch meat. She believes some of the animals may have been mistreated or fed a bad diet.
Cadwell, however, said the carnival operators treated the iguanas well.
An animal control officer cited the carnival worker. He paid his fine – $50 plus court costs – a few weeks later.
Cadwell said vocal opposition forced the carnival operators to cancel plans to bring the game to their Mount Trashmore carnival.
“I have to respect what they’re doing,” he said. “You’ll never see us bring another iguana game back to the area.”
Rebecca Kaufman – Ashlynn’s mom – took her son to a T-ball game last week. During the game, several mothers swapped lizard stories. Two iguanas ran away. Another suffered a fatal spinal cord injury. “They’re very tough to take care of,” Kaufman said.
Silly Billy stopped eating. He died last week in his aquarium, surrounded by $90 worth of new plants and lizard amusements.
Iguanas won at carnival could be no great prize