What’s up with the iguana program?
The Lee County iguana tax board will meet on Friday, Nov. 20 to get an update from the United States Department of Agriculture, and to find out what their role in the eradication process will be in the next year.
According to Libby Walker, Lee County’s director of public resources, she and the board will be looking at what the USDA’s role in the future will be.
“We will be discussing how we will utilize the USDA in the coming year,” she said. “We already have a working budget as of October 1, we just need to discuss how to proceed.”
Dr. Michael Avery, a researcher and wildlife biologist with the USDA, will be giving a presentation on data they have collected on island iguanas since the spring.
“This meeting is just about what progress has taken place this year, and to update the citizens on the work that’s been done,” he said. “Maybe we’ll look ahead to next year.
Avery’s research includes gathering all iguanas eradicated from the island and examining their carcasses. They are all weighed, measured, their sex is determined, and their stomach contents are examined.
“Our role is to take animals collected, weigh, measure, sex, foods in stomach. We’re trying to get a picture of the population of iguanas during the course of the time,” he said.
The meeting will take place on Friday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. at the Boca Grande Community Center.
