2019 Anegada Program Report
Conservation, applied research, and recovery of the Anegada iguana, Cyclura pinguis
Kelly Bradley Fort Worth Zoo
New Equipment
In November 2019 a new emergency generator, TV video monitor, and project field car (2008 Honda Element) was delivered to Anegada. The vehicle was registered, insured, and had the undercarriage sprayed on Tortola to protect it from the salt air before being shipped to Anegada by a local cargo boat. The generator is the final piece of our hurricane preparedness kit. The TV monitor will be used to display a short conservation film centered on the Anegada iguana at the facility’s visitor’s center.
Iguana Fest
Iguana Fest 2019 took place on 21 October. The ecology games were set up in a new format. Instead of playing each game with all the children at once, each game was set up as an individual station. The participants could visit each station individually or in small groups to complete the activity. All participants were issued an official Iguana Fest Passport that was stamped each time an activity was completed; a filled-out passport was exchanged for a small iguana fest prize (drawstring backpack and silicone bracelet). We received great feedback on the addition of the passport. The children were very motivated to completely fill all the space available for stamps. There were more spaces than actual games, so the kids repeated all the activities several times to fill the book. This resulted in heavy repetition of our ecology/conservation message.
    Twelve animals (6.6) were chosen to be released based on a facility inventory conducted in mid-October. Students from Claudia Creque Education Centre (grades 4-12) participated in the public release on October 23, 2019. All animals were released south of the road on the western portion of Bones Bight, bringing the total number of released animals up to 260.  Â
Future
Researchers will continue the Fallen Jerusalem surveys in February, focusing on the presence of invasive species, presence of native reptile species, and the presence of rare and/or iguana food plant species. On Anegada, the camera grid set up in October 2019, will be collected and a new grid will be set up in a second site located at the east end during the previous ground surveys in May of 2019.
