OYSTER POND--The animals at Iguana Park in Oyster Pond have been left in dirty cages with no food or water for an amount of time that is unclear, during the business’ relocation to nearby Bishop Hill Road.
Food and water bowls for all the animals were bone-dry when checked on Thursday and un-replenished pools of water have been reduced to little more than muck.
This was brought to The Daily Herald’s attention by concerned citizens.
All of the structures at the park, three of which face the roadside, are being taken down. The large amount of debris left behind at the moment, including wood and protruding nails, is a hazard if left unattended for long during hurricane season, but is not near the animals.
People who pass by the location frequently say they have not seen anyone, not even construction workers, for the past month. The physical state of the park was also said to have been more or less the same during this time.
The only animals free to roam, the iguanas, have left. Just two were spotted of an estimated 70 that used to be there. Two donkeys were left tied to a tree, one of which broke loose, with a bucket meant for water seen nearby. However, this, like all the other ones, was bone-dry.
A still pond at the centre of the park is so dried up and murky that it needed to be pointed out that there are supposed to be fish in it. The occasional ripple or bubble showed that there still might be.
Other animals at the park, each in their own cages are two raccoons, four waterbirds, two rabbits, one monkey and a boa constrictor. Another smaller cage was empty, but looks like it had been used for parrots. Water pools for the waterbirds and boa constrictor were both dirty, but that of the boa constrictor especially so. It appeared no food had been laid anywhere on the ground either, aside from tough old kennip remnants on the monkey’s cage.
Despite this, all animals except the raccoons would not seem neglected at face-value. The concerned citizens brought food and water for the animals, although they were not able to give water to all because of the cages.
