2023: A Great Year for the Great Jamaican Iguana
The week of December 11, 2023, marked the conclusion of another successful year of Jamaican Rock Iguana (𝘊𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘪) reintroductions to Jamaica’s Hellshire Hills. This year, the team was able to reintroduce 100 individuals—far more than have ever been released during one year in the history of the program! Such wonderful news for a species that was once thought to be gone forever.
Found in the Knick of Time
The Jamaican Rock Iguana is one of the most threatened iguanas in the world. Found only in Jamaica, it was thought to be extinct by the 1940s, largely due to habitat loss and predation by invasive species. But remarkably, a small number of the iguanas were rediscovered in 1990, living in the Hellshire Hills tropical dry forest, a remote ecosystem along Jamaica’s southeast coast. This amazing event galvanized an international recovery effort protect these extraordinary iguanas.
Help for a Rare Species
Since its founding in 2001, the International Iguana Foundation has been supporting conservation efforts to save this Critically Endangered species. For the first 30 years of the recovery program, invasive species continued to be common in the area, and the number of iguanas remained low. In 2016, plans were developed for more effective protection, and the conservation area for the iguanas was doubled by implementing a buffer zone surrounding the core iguana area.
At the same time, the Hope Zoo in Kingston, Jamaica, created a breeding and headstart facility. Here, Jamaican Iguanas could breed and nest in safe surroundings, and hatchlings could be cared for until they reached a size where they could defend themselves. These iguanas could then be reintroduced to the protected areas. By 2016, breeding capacity at the Hope Zoo’s facility was quadrupled, and management was adjusted to decrease the amount of time iguanas spent there before reintroduction.
During the first 20 years of reintroductions, about 300 individuals were released into the wild. Since 2016, another 360+ iguanas have been reintroduced, including the 100 released this year in 2023. There are also more than 500 individuals in care facilities. As a result of the dedication and hard work of everyone involved, the program is on track to release the 1,000th Jamaican Rock Iguana by 2026!
2023 Accomplishments
First Release of the Year
On April 19, 2023, the first release of Jamaican Rock Iguanas for the year took place. The 25 iguanas were headstarted at the Hope Zoo, and representatives from all the major organizations involved in the conservation program came together to transport them to the Hellshire Hills. Both male and female iguanas were released, and females were placed at known nesting sites, in hopes they would reproduce. Off to a great start, with additional releases to come!
Nesting Begins
In May, researchers spotted signs of the iguanas nesting at the release site. They saw evidence of a female digging into the soil to bury her eggs. Nesting occurs in underground burrows that are filled with loose soil, and gravid iguanas often begin digging trial holes before egg laying. In about 90 days, the hatchlings emerge. Once the year’s hatchlings began to emerge, the researchers would be tracking them to assess movements and survival rate.
Education Outreach
A key aspect of long-term conservation success is community involvement. The Jamaican Iguana conservation program conducts fun and inspirational workshops for young students across Jamaica, including one they held in June for 50 students from four different schools. The kids spent a day at the Hope Zoo, finding out about the endangered Jamaican Rock Iguana through talks, playing iguana-themed games, and visiting the Jamaican Iguana headstart facility at the zoo. They also meet an iguana up-close and find out firsthand what those scales feel like—and just how cool these iguanas are!
When communities discover more about the amazing species they have in their own backyard, they can appreciate them and band together to help protect them. And since today’s children are tomorrow’s conservationists, educational outreach to schools is especially important.
Successful Breeding!
After additional releases in June and July, a total of 100 iguanas had been reintroduced for 2023. And as they had hoped, the iguanas were reproducing! When nests were located, researchers monitored them for signs that hatchlings were emerging. Once they began to appear, some were collected, checked, and tagged, and brought to the Hope Zoo facility to be part of the headstarting program.
Tracking Hatchlings
By mid-September, the team recorded that a whopping 483 iguanas had hatched so far for the season. That was already 16 more than the previous record of 467 in a year! After working hard to better protect the iguanas’ core area, they expected to see an increase in hatchling survival, and they were excited to see the positive results.
In addition, thanks to support from the Disney Conservation Fund, the team was able to support masters student Danyang Shi to help radio track iguanas this season. With the data gathered, the team can evaluate the survival rate of iguanas that are at the critical age when they might be preyed upon by other animals. If they can survive their early months and grow to a larger size, they have a better chance at long-term survival.
All told, 2023 was a remarkable year for Jamaican Iguana conservation. With the releases over the years and successful reproduction at the Hope Zoo and now in the wild, the Jamaican Iguana has made a tremendous comeback—a huge win for everyone who has worked so hard to bring this species back from extinction!
Vital Support
Of course, none of it would be possible without the dedicated Jamaican and international organizations working on and supporting the program: National Environment and Planning Agency, Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation, Hope Zoo, Urban Development Corporation, Institute of Jamaica, Fort Worth Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group. The International Iguana Foundation has played an integral role in supporting this project, and the generous support from US Fish and Wildlife Service, Disney Conservation Fund, and Mohamed bin Zayed Conservation Fund has allowed the program to expand tremendously since 2016.
For 2023 and beyond, support from Disney Conservation Fund, US Embassy–Kingston, and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund will continue the program as it continues to develop. Funding will allow research into the impacts of the buffer zone on the survival of the Jamaican Rock Iguana and other native species; improved invasive species control; increased outreach and education efforts, headstart improvements, and support for the team on the ground. Here’s to all the iguana champions who make the continued survival of the Jamaican Iguana possible!
