Rare Fijian iguanas, rescued from wildlife traffickers in Spain, arrive at San Diego Zoo

After a whirlwind travel astir the world, during which they were nabbed, rescued and quarantined, 8 critically endangered Fijian iguanas person yet arrived astatine their caller location astatine the San Diego Zoo.

The iguanas volition acceptable close successful astatine the zoo, which is location to the largest captive colony of these reptiles and is starring familial probe efforts that volition hopefully assistance pave the mode for their aboriginal survival, officials said.

Zoo unit were thrilled to yet conscionable the agelong greenish additions, which were seized by Spanish authorities successful a 2017 bust of much than 600 illegally trafficked reptiles.

“Confiscations of trafficked wildlife hap a batch much often than radical realize, and reptiles are particularly susceptible owed to their precocious request successful the amerciable favored trade,” Brett Baldwin, curator of herpetology and ichthyology astatine the San Diego Zoo, said successful a statement. “This transport of Fijian iguanas from Spain to the San Diego Zoo was respective years successful the making, but is simply a testament to our committedness and dedication to redeeming wildlife and getting these iguanas the champion imaginable care.”

While successful Spain, the iguanas were successful the attraction of the Foundation for Research successful Ethology and Biodiversity adjacent Madrid. Their determination to San Diego was authorized by the Fiji authorities arsenic portion of an planetary effort to assistance reconstruct the endangered species.

The Fijian iguanas were seized by Spanish authorities successful a 2017 bust.

(Ken Bohn / San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

“Wildlife smuggling is simply a existent occupation that threatens Fiji’s endangered iguana populations that are already facing pressures from expanding quality activities and invasive alien species,” National Trust of Fiji Council Chairman Setoki Tuiteci said successful a statement. “Therefore, we admit the actions of information authorities and organizations similar San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.”

Baldwin traveled to Spain to assistance hole for the iguanas’ formation to the United States. When the reptiles arrived safely successful Los Angeles, they were escorted to the zoo’s Jennings Veterinary Hospital for in-depth wellness assessments and quarantine.

Once cleared from quarantine, the iguanas volition beryllium acceptable to conscionable the remainder of their long-lost household astatine the zoo.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has assisted with much than 20 reptile seizures successful the past 28 years and was 1 of the archetypal zoos to statesman receiving Fijian iguanas. Their conservation breeding programme that was established successful the 1990s has successfully produced implicit 100 hatchlings.

The zoo has analyzed DNA samples taken from astir 200 iguanas connected 30 islands arsenic portion of its effort to larn however to champion conserve the species. The results showed that autochthonal Fijian iguana populations person overmuch greater familial diverseness than antecedently thought — perchance pointing to an wholly caller taxon of iguana.

Fijian iguanas are recovered connected 10% of Fiji’s 330 islands.

(Ken Bohn / San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

Zoo geneticists volition enactment with the 8 caller iguanas to find whether they were poached straight from the chaotic oregon bred illegally, and which land they whitethorn person primitively travel from. Fijian iguanas are recovered connected 10% of Fiji’s astir 330 islands and astir populations are threatened.

The lizards are astir 21 inches agelong and feast connected leaves, fruits and flowers successful the coastal swamps and rainforests of their autochthonal islands. They walk astir of their beingness surviving successful trees — descending lone to laic eggs.