Florida's cruel solution to Iguana problem

[Catherine]

No one is denying that Florida has a serious Iguana problem. They are not native to Florida, but now that they are loose they have multiplied. 
Where did they come from? They are from Mexico and Central and South America. They live in the jungles and eat vegetation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguana

How did they end up in Florida? People brought them there. Some might be escaped or abandoned pets. Many would have escaped during the various hurricanes and serious weather events. However it happened the iguanas are not at fault.

Something does have to be done to reduce the numbers. I doubt they can ever be fully eradicated now. 
There is probably a humane way to do this.

Florida has chosen an inhumane way.

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&ur...C_FqDfUrww


How can they possibly pass this off as research? It is a cull with a brutal kill method. Of course the iguanas try to escape, they are being killed. They are not stupid. They will be aware of what is happening just from observation. 
They have brutally killed 249 iguanas.  

They are gentle herbivores who just want to live. They didn't ask to be there. They are being killed because of something humans have done.
Even the guy with the pellet gun who has killed 100 iguanas thinks what they are doing is cruel.

Iguanas are beautiful creatures
This is my friend Iris having a banana

She loves grapes

And a good snuggle

It breaks my heart that beautiful lizards like Iris are being hunted and killed.


We are responsible for their presence in Florida. We owe them better than they are getting.

[Tobi]

I heard about this the other day. I was shocked. Humans created that situation in the first place, and their only "solution" is to go round bashing Iguanas to death. I was shocked that a more humane solution couldn't have been found, such as re-location to a more suitable environment.
You are right. We do owe these lovely creatures a natural and peaceful life. Not to be brutally killed. In some cases maybe they are not even dispatched properly and instead are injured with no help. It is very sad and brutal.

I love your pictures with Iris.

[Catherine]

Iris is a beautiful loving creature and in many ways she is an Iguana ambassador. People who have never seen an Iguana up close learn from Iris how nice they can be. 

Public

This is Lichen. She is much younger than Iris and was left behind in a house after a foreclosure. We ended up with her at the reptile centre and five minutes after I took this picture we rehomed her with someone who has Iguana experience. 
Lichen was so cute and she will be a happy pet.


Iguanas are intelligent gentle lizards and they deserve better than they are getting. Surely Florida could gather the eggs to keep them from hatching. They could set up an Iguana sanctuary and keep them under control there. Brutally bashing their skulls in is the worst thing they could choose to do. It is cruel and I wonder how often they are able to kill them humanely that way if ever.