Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, reposting this here:

The International Iguana Foundation has recently launched a campaign to raise funds to support a new head-start facility for the Jamaican Iguana. Our goal is to raise $24,000 over the next six weeks, and we are already half way there!! The Fort Worth and Miami Zoos, along with the IIF, have extended a challenge, to match all contributions dollar for dollar, up to $12,000.

The successful head-starting program at the Hope Zoo, begun in 1991, has been the foundation for the remarkable recovery of the Jamaican Iguana in the wilds of Hellshire Hills. The Hope Zoo is undergoing a long needed renovation, and the old decaying facilities need to go. We have been offered a nice piece of "off exhibit property" to rebuild. Please join us in assuring a future for this very special iguana, and supporting one of the greatest conservation stories in history.

Please consider a donation to support new headstart enclosures for the Jamaican Iguana Recovery Program.
And please share this link with your friends and on Facebook!

http://www.hopeforjamaicaniguanas.com/

jf

Thanks Joel. I will share it on my FB.

Joel, what are the population numbers at approximately for the wild and the captive?

Mark,
155 were headstarted and released in 2011. The estimate is that about 100-200 are in the wild. Mongoose are picking of the young.

jf

Well it seems as long as the mongooses aren't eradicated, captive bred head started lizards are the only way the species can survive in the wild. I bet most of the snakes are gone too.

yup, all the natural nestings get raided. They are working hard to eliminate the mongoose, rats, cats...

jf

FYI, on April 21 - 22, 2013 we released 52 headstart Jamaican iguanas (Cyclura collei) This brings the total number of iguanas to 226 that have been reintroduced to their native Hellshire Hills since 1996.

health screen assessments were conducted by a team from San Diego Zoo Global, Fort Worth Zoo, National Zoo, the Dutch Iguana Foundation and the Hope Zoo. The Director of the Jamaican Iguana Conservation and Recovery Program, Dr. Byron Wilson, and his young son Adam were on hand for the releases, and are shown here releasing the historic 200th iguana. Overseeing this complex process was Tandora Grant (San Diego Zoo Global), who manages both the captive populaton and studbook for this species.
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