A fourth release of Anegada iguanas, Cyclura pinguis, took place onOctober 6th and 7th, 2006. Twenty-nine headstarted Anegada iguanas werereleased back to the wild, bringing the total number of animals releasedto 101 since 2003. The releases were part of a celebration event thatdrew over 40 participants from Anegada and Tortola, British VirginIslands (BVI).

Twenty-six students from the Anegada School (which has 32students total) and nine community college students from Tortola, alongwith teachers and residents of both islands, began the day at theAnegada Iguana Headstart Facility. There, they heard talks by AnimalCare Specialists from BVI National Parks Trust, veterinarians from theWildlife Conservation Society, and biologists from the Dallas Zoo andSan Diego Zoo's Division of Conservation and Research for EndangeredSpecies (CRES). The group then traveled to the release site in coreiguana habitat where a number of individuals who had never touched aniguana before helped biologist Kelly Bradley to paint-mark and releasethe headstarted iguanas back to their home.

As in previous years, this release was supported with funding from theIIF.

 

All photos courtesy of Lee Pagni.