Fight for survival continues as J’can iguana recovery reaches 1,000
International conservationists and local partners are meeting in Hellshire Hills, St Catherine. They will release the 1,000th Jamaican rock iguana raised at Hope Zoo. These animals stay at the zoo until they are large enough to defend themselves against predators. Once they reach that size, they are returned to the wild. This milestone represents a significant step in saving the species. The animals were once feared to be extinct.
International conservation experts and local partners will gather in Hellshire Hills, St Catherine, on Saturday to release the 1,000th Jamaican rock iguana raised at Hope Zoo to be returned to the wild. The iguanas are cared for at the zoo until they grow large enough to protect themselves from predators, before being released into their natural habitat. The milestone marks a major achievement in the effort to save a species once feared extinct.