The link below leads to another article about the recent attempt at capturing spiny-tailed iguanas on a Florida Gulf Coast Island. The attempt failed, for a variety of reasons ranging from weather to limited access.

Trying to do the "right thing" often fails. I've worked with homeless folk -- getting them medical attention and temporary housing only to have them living under a bridge again a few weeks later. I've worked with groups trying to stop federal "animal control" programs from exteriminating coyotes, and with people who rescue abandoned "pet wolves." Such work is stressful, and success is often elusive.

The effort to capture Gasparilla Island's iguanas was noble, but highly likely to fail. Having a good heart isn't the only requirement for saving animals. I understand the gut-wrenching desire to rescue animals threatened with horrible death -- one "expert" suggested freezing the iguanas, while others promote shooting them. But rushing in is often counter-productive.

Some suggestions and questions for future work:

1) Make people aware of your efforts. The only references I have seen to these rescuers have been in newspapers. There was no announcement in any reptile forum I know of; a simple "here's what we'd like to do" note in the Iguanas or Rescues forums here would have elicited help and advice.

2) Be more available to the media. Several newspapers and other interested parties tried to contact the would-be iguana rescuers, and could not. I can not find any web or telephone book entry for a Pinellas County chapter of "Scales and Tails".

3) Start smaller. Saying you'll capture a thousand animals only leads to ridicule when you fail (regardless of the reasons for such failure). Collect a dozen animals for study; be sure these iguanas *can* be domesticated.

4) Pick a better time of the year for the rescue.

5) Make certain you have all the private and public land permits you need. One problem with this rescue was its lack of a permit to collect iguanas in a state park. The Park managers noted that they had poor communication with the rescuers, and thus could not support the effort.

6) Don't publicize the fact that you may charge adoption fees or sell the animals; this only makes it look like you're trying to profit from the rescues.

7) Do you have permits for housing a thousand (or even several dozen) wild-caught iguanas?

8) Did you contact some of the excellent herpetologists who've studied these animals? I have quite a few papers that discuss the biology of non-indigenous iguanas in Florida.

Animal rescue and education is never easy; I've been there, and plan to go back that way again. I'm more than happy to help with you next effort, assuming you let people know what you're trying to do, in advance.

.
Volunteer effort nets two iguanas

-----
Scott Robert Ladd
1.0.0 Iguana (Rex)
1.0.0 African Giant Plated Lizard (Clyde)
1.0.0 Uro mali (Wizard)
0.1.0 Corn Snake (Amber)
1.1.0 Red-Eared Sliders (Jade and Emerald)
0.4.0 Homo sapiens (Maria, Elora, Becky, Tessa)
blog: http://chaoticcoyote.blogspot.com/