2008 Woodie Awards
Anegada iguanas face extinction
Danel Sath
Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Lisa Fitzgerald, biology professor, had a guest speaker from the Dallas Zoo talk to her class Sept.20 about the conservation effort to save the iguanas on Anegada Island.
Kelly Bradely, who was the speaker and a researcher, said she dedicated her career to the conservation of endangered species. Bradely is currently working on the conservation of the Anegada iguanas.
She said the Anegada iguana is a critically endangered species. Bradely estimated 200 iguanas live on the island, and they need human intervention to save them. A program for conservation was started in 1997.
Bradely said the main decline in iguana numbers is due to the feral cat population on the island, which was introduced to the island when humans began inhabiting it.
She said cats are a big problem, but the added stress of free-roaming livestock destroyed the iguana's natural habitat.
Bradely focused on the efforts to establish a healthy population of Anegada iguanas.
She said iguanas lay dozens of eggs at a time deep underground to avoid any disturbance from predators and to ensure the survival of its lineage.
Cats generally scavenge for these underground nests and consume several of the eggs, Bradely said. If one third of the eggs are consumed by cats, the rest will die in the nest because the iguanas work together to dig out of the nest.
Currently conservationists are making an effort to rid the island of the feral cat population through traps to capture the cats and euthanize them, Bradely said. The problem with capturing cats is it takes a great deal of money, she said.
A good portion of money is provided by grants, but that is not enough. Incorporating methods of capture and social issues involving the inhabitants of the island are some of the struggles of the conservation mission, Bradely said.
Some students in the class suggested hiring the local population of humans, who are in dire need of income, to capture the feral cats in exchange for payment
For more information on Bradely or the Anegada iguanas, students can visit www.iguanafoundation.org or www.dallas-zoo.org.
Kelly Bradely, who was the speaker and a researcher, said she dedicated her career to the conservation of endangered species. Bradely is currently working on the conservation of the Anegada iguanas.
She said the Anegada iguana is a critically endangered species. Bradely estimated 200 iguanas live on the island, and they need human intervention to save them. A program for conservation was started in 1997.
Bradely said the main decline in iguana numbers is due to the feral cat population on the island, which was introduced to the island when humans began inhabiting it.
She said cats are a big problem, but the added stress of free-roaming livestock destroyed the iguana's natural habitat.
Bradely focused on the efforts to establish a healthy population of Anegada iguanas.
She said iguanas lay dozens of eggs at a time deep underground to avoid any disturbance from predators and to ensure the survival of its lineage.
Cats generally scavenge for these underground nests and consume several of the eggs, Bradely said. If one third of the eggs are consumed by cats, the rest will die in the nest because the iguanas work together to dig out of the nest.
Currently conservationists are making an effort to rid the island of the feral cat population through traps to capture the cats and euthanize them, Bradely said. The problem with capturing cats is it takes a great deal of money, she said.
A good portion of money is provided by grants, but that is not enough. Incorporating methods of capture and social issues involving the inhabitants of the island are some of the struggles of the conservation mission, Bradely said.
Some students in the class suggested hiring the local population of humans, who are in dire need of income, to capture the feral cats in exchange for payment
For more information on Bradely or the Anegada iguanas, students can visit www.iguanafoundation.org or www.dallas-zoo.org.
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