Blue Iguanas missing

It looks like troubles at the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana project at Queen Elizabeth Botanical Gardens aren't over. Several years ago, the organization suffered a major loss of their founder stock after an attack that appeared to be the result of both humans and dogs, leaving six adult breeding animals dead.

Samantha Hicks, one of the distraught volunteers at the Blue Iguana Recovery Program (BIRP), spoke with Cayman Net News about the incident. “We’ve never seen anything like this before, it was a sustained and brutal attack,” she said, adding: “We are heartbroken and devastated; just absolutely furious.” The six killed ranged from 18 to 23 years old and were among the friendliest iguanas at the facility, making them easy targets, Mrs Hicks said, but added that they would not have gone down without a fight. “The big ones would have fought back with every ounce invested in them; the people who did this are more than likely covered with very deep scratches,” she said. Mrs Hicks, who assists BIRP Director Fred Burton on a volunteer basis, said that police have launched a forensic investigation into the slaughter, recovering evidence that might lead them to the perpetrators.

Now, despite increased security measures, they are looking at another small setback as what appears to be dogs have destroyed a release nesting box on the facility grounds.

A group of recently released Blue Iguanas are missing and presumed dead after an attack by a pack of stray dogs. The reptiles were placed in special wooded boxes and left out in the eastern side of the reserve to integrate into the wild. However when workers at the recovery program returned they discovered the boxes shattered and covered with bite marks.

To see the full video story from Cayman 27, click here. Inset photo by John Binns, take from www.blueiguana.ky