Endangered Fijian iguanas rescued in Spain arrive at San Diego Zoo

After a whirlwind journey around the world, during which they were nabbed, rescued and quarantined, eight critically endangered Fijian iguanas have finally arrived at their new home at the San Diego Zoo.

The iguanas will fit right in at the zoo, which is home to the largest captive colony of these reptiles and is leading genetic research efforts that will hopefully help pave the way for their future survival, officials said.

Zoo staff were thrilled to finally meet the long green additions, which were seized by Spanish authorities in a 2017 bust of more than 600 illegally trafficked reptiles.

“Confiscations of trafficked wildlife happen a lot more frequently than people realize, and reptiles are especially susceptible due to their high demand in the illegal pet trade,” Brett Baldwin, curator of herpetology and ichthyology at the San Diego Zoo, said in a statement. “This transport of Fijian iguanas from Spain to the San Diego Zoo was several years in the making, but is a testament to our commitment and dedication to saving wildlife and getting these iguanas the best possible care.”

While in Spain, the iguanas were in the care of the Foundation for Research in Ethology and Biodiversity near Madrid. Their move to San Diego was authorized by the Fiji government as part of an international effort to help restore the endangered species.

The Fijian iguanas were seized by Spanish authorities in a 2017 bust.

(Ken Bohn / San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

“Wildlife smuggling is a real problem that threatens Fiji’s endangered iguana populations that are already facing pressures from expanding human activities and invasive alien species,” National Trust of Fiji Council Chairman Setoki Tuiteci said in a statement. “Therefore, we appreciate the actions of security authorities and organizations like San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.”

Baldwin traveled to Spain to help prepare for the iguanas’ flight to the United States. When the reptiles arrived safely in Los Angeles, they were escorted to the zoo’s Jennings Veterinary Hospital for in-depth health assessments and quarantine.

Once cleared from quarantine, the iguanas will be ready to meet the rest of their long-lost family at the zoo.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has assisted with more than 20 reptile seizures in the last 28 years and was one of the first zoos to begin receiving Fijian iguanas. Their conservation breeding program that was established in the 1990s has successfully produced over 100 hatchlings.

The zoo has analyzed DNA samples taken from nearly 200 iguanas on 30 islands as part of its effort to learn how to best conserve the species. The results showed that native Fijian iguana populations have much greater genetic diversity than previously thought — possibly pointing to an entirely new species of iguana.

Fijian iguanas are found on 10% of Fiji’s 330 islands.

(Ken Bohn / San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

Zoo geneticists will work with the eight new iguanas to determine whether they were poached directly from the wild or bred illegally, and which island they may have originally come from. Fijian iguanas are found on 10% of Fiji’s around 330 islands and most populations are threatened.

The lizards are around 21 inches long and feast on leaves, fruits and flowers in the coastal swamps and rainforests of their native islands. They spend most of their lifetime living in trees — descending only to lay eggs.