In South Florida , iguanas had better view their backs . That ’s because scientist are on an unusual hunt to down them , with the aid of captive bolt gun and a $ 63,000 enquiry Ulysses S. Grant , harmonize to theSun Sentinel .
It ’s not as brutal as it might seem at first glance . The green iguana , native to Central and South America , is aninvasive speciesin Florida . The great lizard — which can grow up to 6 feet long — first made it to Florida in the 1960s , and as their population has explode , they have spread out far north . The reptilesdamageroads , sidewalks , sea walls , and flood - controller epithelial duct with their burrow ; chomp their means through landscaping ; spreadSalmonella , for the most part by pooping in masses ’s backyard pools ; and compete with the endangered Miami patrician butterfly for treasured solid food resources .
The population boom has caused an uptick in complaint from residents , Florida Fish and Wildlife ’s Sarah Funck enjoin theSun Sentinelin 2017 , labour the state to observe raw strategy to deal with the reptilian . One access ? Hire scientist to trace them down and kill them .
As part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife research project , 15 University of Florida biologist have been task with carry out as many iguanas as potential in Broward County ( home to Fort Lauderdale and parts of the Miami metropolitan area ) , setting out in team of two at night . arm with torch and captive bolt of lightning guns — which are often used on animals in shambles and areconsidereda humanist fashion of killing an animal instantly and painlessly — the researcher attempt to pussyfoot up on dormancy lounge lizard and shoot them before they can scuttle away . They also sometimes dispatch the iguanas by smashing their heads against a hard Earth’s surface , include the side of a truck or a boat .
They ’ve extirpate 249 lizards so far . They take the dead animals back to the lab to be weighed and measured for their dataset , then deposit the carcasses in a landfill . The iguana pour down spree is expect to last into May .
While they have tried ensnare the iguana in county park , they have n’t succeeded in capturing any with that method acting .
As part of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ’s iguana - eradicating efforts , the way has also been hostingpublic workshopson how to discourage and trap iguanas and has hired a dedicatedtrapperto control population on public lands in the Florida Keys .
[ h / tSun Sentinel ]
