Iggy, the young iguana lounging. (Photo courtesy Clarisse Buma)
ST. EUSTATIUS--Park ranger of St. Eustatius National Parks STENAPA Rupnor Redan paid a visit to Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam. He took the opportunity to visit the four iguanas from Statia that were shipped to Blijdorp in May 2018 to take part in an international breeding programme.
Rupnor Redan and Sandra Bijhold greet a Galapagos giant tortoise. (Photo courtesy Clarisse Buma)
From left to right: former STENAPA intern Robyn Baars, Rupnor Redan, Sandra Bijhold, former STENAPA director Clarisse Buma. (Photo courtesy Clarisse Buma)
Redan caught the iguanas on the island and took care of them until they were sent off with the government plane of former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. “I’ve seen with my own eyes that the iguanas are thriving. They look healthy and well fed. You can see that they are comfortable. The zoo is very professional. The iguanas serve as a good ambassador of Statia’s nature,” says Redan.
Sandra Bijhold from Blijdorp is responsible for the care of the animals. Also for the baby iguana, called Iggy, that was born in 2020. “Iggy still has the typical bright green colour, but now that he is getting older, he is becoming more greyish like the other iguanas,” says Bijhold. She hopes for more offspring. “We do our utmost best, but breeding with iguanas in captivity is very difficult.
“After a female has laid her eggs, we put them in an incubator. You need to have the right temperature. We also experience that quite often the eggs are not fertilised. So, there is work to do to have a better understanding of the mating behaviour of this species in captivity. The good news is that the visitors love to see these endangered animals. We are very proud to have them in our zoo.”
