Dr. Paul Calle, director of zoological health at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), traveled this past summer to the Cayman Island to investigate the health of endangered blue iguanas to ensure they were ready to be released into the wild.
Though the Grand Cayman blue iguana was once on the brink of extinction (with only a few dozen left in the wild), health experts from WCS Bronx Zoo have made great strides in saving the endangered reptile, working closely with members of the Blue Iguana Recovery Program. By carefully raising blue iguanas in protected areas and later introducing them to the wild, conservationists have successfully increased the blue iguana population to over 600.
Certainly, with the wonderful efforts of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Blue Iguana Recovery Program, it will not be long before the conservation goal of 1,000 thriving individuals is met.
Want to learn more about the blue iguana comeback? Check out Green, A Blog About Energy and the Environment.