More than 700 Jamaican Iguanas Released!
April 22, 2024, marked the first release of the year for Jamaican Rock Iguanas back to the tropical dry forests of Hellshire Hills. These 33 iguanas originally hatched from nest sites within the protected area in the Hellshire Hills and were then brought into the headstart facility at the Hope Zoo in Kingston, Jamaica. There they spent three to four years, until they grew to a size at which they could defend themselves from introduced invasive predators that caused their near extinction: cats, mongoose, dogs, and pigs. Â
A team of 24 stakeholders from the Jamaican Iguana Recovery Program made the journey to Hellshire Hills to transport the iguanas for release. The protected area for this species is very remote and thus it takes an enormous effort to bring these iguanas home. This time the Jamaican Defense Force Coast Guard transported the team and iguanas from Kingston to the beach drop off point within the Portland Bight Protected Area. There the team was met by an additional boat of volunteers. The iguanas were then distributed to the team to make the one-hour hike into the core protected area.
Following a long hike up into the rocky hills these iguanas call home, the team split up to release the iguanas at multiple locations within the protected area. Both male and female iguanas are brought into the headstarted facility each year but with a female biased ratio, to ensure fast population growth once released. Males are released along the trails throughout the environment, however females are released at different nesting sites in hopes they would imprint and return to nest at these sites in the future, potentially this year!
During this release, the Jamaican Iguana Recovery Program reintroduced its 700th headstarted iguana. There will be many more releases to come this year with the goal of reaching 800 released by the end of the year. The project is well on its way to reach the goal of 1000 reintroduced Jamaican Rock Iguanas by 2026!
Thank you to 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.
The program has ongoing support from Disney Conservation Fund, US Embassy–Kingston, and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. This funding allows 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!
