Habitat set aside for the Critically Endangered Rock Iguana came under threat by plans for development. Thanks to incredible efforts, the region has been saved and will support the iguanas. 

Once common in Jamaica, this iguana is now among the most endangered species in the world. And without the hard work of many conservationists, it would probably be extinct.

The Jamaican Rock Iguana is threatened by invasive species including feral cats, dogs, and pigs. The threat of invasive predators, combined with habitat destruction and hunting, has proven too much for this now Critically Endangered species – its population crashed under the pressures of these numerous threats. Luckily for the Jamaican Rock Iguana, conservationists refused to stand by and watch this rare reptile flicker out of existence for good.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Iguana Specialist Group worked hard to buoy the dwindling iguana population. They nurtured 300 breeding pairs in an ecologically rich region of Jamaica–the Hellshire Hills. The plan was to relocate the iguanas to the Goat Islands, a mile off of the shore of Jamaica, where the iguanas once flourished, and where the hope was that, with conservation support, they could thrive once again.

However, hope for the Jamaican Rock Iguana was held hostage for two years as another idea took shape: a plan to convert the Hellshire Hills and Goat Islands into a transshipment port had emerged, supplanting the plans to save the Jamaican Rock Iguanas from extinction.

Once again, conservationists refused to stand by–they would not watch precious habitat slip through their fingers. Thus, two years of intensive efforts have given rise to a major success in the arena of conservation: the plans to build the transshipment port have been dropped, permitting the rich ecological region and critical iguana habitat to remain intact. The tenacious conservationists’ are now being proactive–their next plan is to turn the Goat Islands into an official sanctuary.

We could look at conservation today as a wearisome field fraught with pitfalls and obstacles, inviting frequent failure and disappointment. Or, we could see conservation as a field burgeoning with challenges and opportunities, an arena for the cultivation and development of patience, persistence, discipline, and resilience, where every success is hard-earned, impactful, and gratifying.

Thankfully, despite fair reason to be pessimistic and give up, these conservationists subscribed to the latter view. Because of this, the Jamaican Rock Iguana has a bright future. Species around the world stand to benefit from conservation efforts. Working to manage the extinction crisis of the Anthropocene is an urgent and worthwhile cause. As Island Conservation’s co-founder Bernie Tershy said, “There is hope yet.”

Featured photo: Jamaican Rock Iguana. Credit: Robin Moore
Source: The New York Times