Jamaica's iguana program has returned 973 animals, with the 1,000th set for Saturday
The Jamaica Observer reported that 114 more head-started rock iguanas are scheduled for release in the Hellshire Hills, which would take the program past 1,000.
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Jamaica's head-start program for the Jamaican rock iguana is about to pass 1,000 animals returned to the Hellshire Hills. The Jamaica Observer reported on November 9, 2026, that 973 have already been released and that 114 more are scheduled to go out on Saturday, including the 1,000th. The species was declared extinct in 1948 and rediscovered in 1990. It lives only in the Hellshire Hills. Young iguanas are raised at Hope Zoo until they are large enough to have a better chance against predators.
Environment minister Matthew Samuda, speaking at the Iguana Specialist Group meeting in New Kingston, said more than 280 live traps are being watched and that more than 1,500 predators have been removed from the core habitat over time. The zoo is caring for about 250 to 300 juveniles. Tandora Grant, who has worked on the project since the 1990s, called the coming release a sign that wild animals are surviving and breeding, and she said the work is not finished. The news is the 973 already out and the Saturday plan. Those 114 iguanas are not in the forest yet.
For the classroom
The Jamaica Observer reported on November 9, 2026, that Jamaica is about to return its 1,000th rock iguana to the Hellshire Hills. Hope Zoo raises young iguanas until they are big enough to face predators. The paper said 973 have already been released, and 114 more are scheduled for Saturday. The species was declared extinct in 1948 and found again in 1990. It lives only in the Hellshire Hills. Teams watch more than 280 traps, and more than 1,500 predators have been removed from the core habitat over the years. About 250 to 300 young iguanas are still at the zoo. Saturday's animals are not in the forest yet.
- Why raise a young iguana at a zoo before letting it go?
- What is the difference between 973 already released and a release that is still planned?
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