THE LAND IGUANA - BACK FROM THE BRINK
Over the last 30 years the land iguana captive breeding programme has reared and released 1,136 land iguanas. Successful breeding in the wild is especially obvious on Baltra Island and northwest Santa Cruz Island since these sites are now free of the feral cats and dogs that previously decimated the iguana populations. The conservation of the endemic land iguana Conolophus subcristatus is the result of partnerships that blend research, management and stewardship. The knowledge gained from these successes will guide future programs to guarantee the survival of other vulnerable native and endemic species, and restore and maintain the natural diversity of Galapagos.
Caring for his leathery charges since 1985, the daily routine of Alberto Jaramillo, CDF's Herpetology Field Technician involved the general care of the land iguanas: feeding, cleaning their corrals, searching for their food and going on monitoring trips to check population levels in the wild. Says Jaramillo, "the most exciting moment was when we could take the young iguanas we had raised back to their original home and set them free."
Jaramillo, a third generation Galapagos native, often wondered as a child what lay beyond the "restricted area" sign at the gate to the iguana captive rearing centre. After traversing that same pathway for over two decades it now holds few secrets. Commented Jaramillo "My body is scarred from the bites and scratches and I no longer have the top of one finger but it was worth it knowing my work helped to save their lives."
In 2007 the Galapagos National Park Service took over the daily maintenance of the iguana captive breeding centre with CDF herpetologists continuing to provide technical assistance. Alberto Jaramillo left his beloved iguanas to pursue a new life path. All at the CDF wish him well in his new endeavors.
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