Taiwan is set to cull up to 120,000 green iguanas due to their significant impact on the island’s agricultural sector. The reptiles, which have become an invasive species, are causing extensive damage to crops and farmland, particularly in southern and central Taiwan, regions highly dependent on agriculture.
According to Chiu Kuo-hao from the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, an estimated 200,000 iguanas are currently roaming these areas. Last year, specially trained hunting teams managed to eliminate around 70,000 of the creatures, offering bounties of up to $15 per iguana. Local governments have called on the public to assist in identifying iguana nests, with fishing spears recommended as the most humane method for killing the animals.
Lee Chi-ya, an agricultural official in Pingtung County, explained that many green iguanas were initially purchased as pets but were later released into the wild as they grew too large and long-lived for their owners. The iguanas have since thrived in Taiwan’s environment, reproducing rapidly and creating an urgent need for population control. “This has disrupted the natural balance, forcing us to take action,” Lee stated.
The green iguanas, which have no natural predators on the island, have established themselves in hard-to-reach areas such as forests and the outskirts of towns, further complicating efforts to manage their numbers. With the ongoing threat to agriculture, the planned cull aims to mitigate the damage and restore ecological balance.
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