300 iguanas now thrive on a Caribbean matchmaking island thanks to science

More than 300 critically endangered iguanas now live on Prickly Pear East, a tiny uninhabited islet near Anguilla. The population exists because conservationists decided the lizards needed matchmaking. In 2016, the Anguilla National Trust moved the last 23 Lesser Antillean iguanas off Anguilla’s mainland. Prickly Pear East was chosen because it was free of invasive predators and rival iguanas. The species has fewer than 20,000 adults worldwide and has vanished from islands like Antigua and St Kitts. Fast breeding green iguanas outcompete them and spread diseases. To prevent inbreeding, conservationists imported 10 young iguanas from Dominica in early 2021. The reptiles were flown by small plane and released to mix with the original group. New surveys now count more than 300 adults and adolescents on the islet. Prickly Pear East is one of only five places where the species is thriving without invasive threats. The success has triggered a second plan on mainland Anguilla at Fountain National Park, fenced to keep out cats and green iguanas. Reintroductions are expected in 2026, with some founders coming from the island.