ANGUILLA–The Anguilla National Trust (ANT) has announced the third Iguana Fest that is being held on Saturday, April 28. The festival will celebrate Anguilla’s native Lesser Antillean iguana – an endangered species that is found on only six islands in the Caribbean and nowhere else in the world.
The ANT is currently working with partners in St. Eustatius and St. Barths in a programme funded by the European Commission that will develop and implement conservation strategies. These will aim to build native iguana population numbers as well as protect the habitat on which they rely. In Anguilla, the ANT, with the support of landowners, has reintroduced the Lesser Antillean iguana onto Prickly Pear East. The cay acts as an iguana sanctuary, as the Lesser Antillean iguana is protected here from such threats as competition with the invasive green iguana, loss of habitat from the clearing of land, and hunting by humans, cats, dogs and rats.
Iguana Fest activities will begin with a night hike on April 27 in the Blackgarden Bay area to search for juvenile native iguanas. Activities will continue at the Department of Agriculture grounds, on the afternoon of Saturday, April 28, from 1:00 to 5:00, with face painting, arts and crafts activities, games and demonstrations and displays. Similar celebrations are also being held concurrently in Statia and the Netherlands, making the Fest into an international celebration of the importance of endangered iguana.
All of Anguilla Iguana Fest activities are open to the public and are free of charge. Refreshments will be on sale with all proceeds going to National Trust species conservation programmes. Individuals interested in joining the hike should register with the ANT.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/75889-third-annual-iguana-fest-planned-for-coming-week
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