A well-known blue iguana, Breezy, has died from a dog attack. The iguana was found dead on Thursday morning at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.
National Trust Director Frank Roulstone said Breezy, who was the subject of a popular local children’s book, was nearly 6 years old.
He said the team at both the botanic park and the Blue Iguana Conservation Programme were saddened by the death.
Breezy was a result of the conservation programme’s breeding efforts to increase the endangered blue iguana population and bring the endemic species back from the brink of extinction.
Roulstone said the staff is working with the Department of Agriculture to identify and capture the dog or dogs involved, adding that the department would take “appropriate actions” in dealing with them.
Roulstone added that this was an isolated incident.
He said there is a network of traps to capture stray dogs or cats entering the park. However, he said Breezy’s death highlights the need for responsible pet ownership.
Dog attacks on Grand Cayman’s iconic iguanas have posed a problem in the past and created challenges for recovery efforts. Following a spate of dog attacks in 2015, for example, many blue iguanas were caged at the botanic park to protect them from predators.
After new fencing and traps were installed at the park to keep out stray dogs, a group of 12 blue iguanas were released back into the wild in 2018.
Releases of blue iguanas into the wild have continued since then, including the release of 100 blue iguanas by the conservation programme in 2023. At that time, the wild population was estimated to be greater than 1,000 – up from an estimated low of just 30 iguanas.
Related Videos
