The tiny, uninhabited islet of Prickly Pear East, just north of Anguilla in the Caribbean, doesn’t scream Love Island. There are no cocktails and no sunsets for two. Yet, for one of the region’s most endangered reptiles, it has become the ultimate place to find a mate.
Thanks to an ambitious conservation project that involved moving lizards across islands to find suitable partners, a brand-new population has been established on the scrubby outcrop – and it’s booming.
The Lesser Antillean iguana is a critically endangered species that has vanished from much of the Eastern Caribbean. Among the biggest threats were invasive species, particularly the common green or striped-tailed iguana – an imposing lizard that grows up to two metres long.
These larger, fast-breeding reptiles compete for food and territory, hybridise with the native species and can carry disease.
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By the mid-2010s, the invasive iguanas were spreading rapidly across mainland Anguilla. In response, conservationists from the Anguilla National Trust made a decision: in 2016, they relocated the island’s last 23 Lesser Antillean iguanas to Prickly Pear East, which was free from predators and competitors.
There was one new concern: such a small population could suffer from inbreeding. The conservation team reached out to the Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division in Dominica to request more young Lesser Antillean iguanas to help boost the genetic diversity. The Government of Dominica agreed, and permits were secured.
In early 2021, 10 healthy juveniles were carefully transported by plane to Anguilla – chaperoned by conservation staff – and released on Prickly Pear East.
The results have been dramatic. Less than five years later, surveys have recorded more than 300 adults and adolescents on the island. Prickly Pear East is now one of just five places worldwide where the Lesser Antillean iguana is considered to be thriving, safely isolated from rivals.
Jenny Daltry, Caribbean Alliance director, Fauna & Flora and Re:wild, said: “Thanks to the kind assistance from our friends in Dominica, as well as funding from the UK Government through Darwin Plus, the Lesser Antillean iguana is making a comeback in Anguilla. Prickly Pear East has become a beacon of hope for these gorgeous lizards – and proves that when we give native wildlife the chance, they know what to do!”
Creating a second safe breeding space
A second reintroduction site has now been created on mainland Anguilla at Fountain National Park. The area has been surrounded by a pest-resistant fence to keep out animals such as cats, dogs and green iguanas. If all goes to plan, Lesser Antillean iguanas will be released there in 2026, with some founders coming from the flourishing Prickly Pear East population.
Farah Mukhida, executive director at the Anguilla National Trust, said: “This is a love story not just of iguanas trying to re-establish their population, but of Anguilla’s people working to restore a part of our natural heritage.
"Beyond being important seed dispersers, Lesser Antillean iguanas are an important part of Anguillan culture. With the planned re-introduction to Fountain National Park, we’re hoping to not only re-establish the iguana’s natural ecosystem function within a restored environment, but to also help people reconnect with nature, using the Lesser Antillean iguana as a flagship species and connection point.”
Local involvement has been crucial from the start. Residents helped researchers by reporting iguana sightings, cared for animals during genetic testing and supported both the 2016 and 2021 translocations.
Volunteers from Dominica also joined the effort, highlighting how much the project relied on cooperation between islands.
Dominica’s forestry teams have been equally important, underscoring the value of regional collaboration in tackling shared conservation threats.
The decline of the Lesser Antillean iguana
The Lesser Antillean iguana is critically endangered with a global population of less than 20,000 adults, and it is falling. Originally found on many of the islands of the Lesser Antilles, this species is now extinct on Antigua, Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis and St Martin, and has disappeared across most of Guadeloupe, St Barths and Martinique. St Eustatius has also reported a severe fall in numbers in recent years.
Invasive alien iguanas have become a primary threat to iguanas throughout the region. Originating in Central and South America, green or stripe-tailed iguanas were first introduced from French Guiana to Guadeloupe in the 1800s, where they flourished at the expense of the native species. They spread further in 1995, when Hurricane Luis swept dozens of the alien iguanas from Guadeloupe to Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, St Barths and St Martin, and have continued to multiply ever since. The invasive iguanas were accidentally introduced to Dominica with relief supplies after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Re:wild, Fauna & Flora and other members of the Lesser Antillean Iguana Working Group are supporting ongoing efforts in Dominica to remove the common green iguanas and hybrids.
Main image: Lesser Antillean Iguana ©Andrew Snyder / Re:wild
