Latest news with #ForestryandNatureConservationAgency
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Officials celebrate astounding feat after removing more than 36,000 invasive lizards in mere months: 'A lot of people bought them as cute little pets'
Taiwan officials announced a huge win in the battle against invasive green iguanas in the country, removing thousands of the animals in just four months. Taiwan's Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FNCA) reported that it had removed 36,543 green iguanas in 2025 up until April, triple the number in the same period in 2024, according to Taiwan News. The FNCA utilized an app originally designed for reporting natural disasters threatening crops, which was updated with a function to report green iguana sightings. The organization also worked with four teams of indigenous hunters for more difficult-to-reach areas, as well as nine removal squads, totaling 1,635 people on the lookout for the lizards. Green iguanas were introduced to Taiwan via the exotic pet trade around 20 years ago, according to The Economist. They now total around 200,000 and threaten farmers' crops like maize, red beans, and gourds, and they face no natural predators on the island. Prime breeding time is in the period from spring to early summer, and the outlet said some believe their prolific numbers are due to unusually warm winters, tied to rising global temperatures. FNCA Director General Lin Hwa-ching told Taiwan News that green iguanas tend to be found in clusters, with their presence a result of poor human management. Hwa-ching also urged the public not to demonize the animals, but instead focus on compassion during removal. Taiwan is one of several countries facing issues with green iguanas, a popular animal in the exotic pet trade that has been known to escape or be abandoned. It has even caused problems in Florida. "A lot of people bought them as cute little pets, not realizing how big and long-lived they would become, so they set them free in the wild, where they've really taken to the Taiwanese environment," Lee Chi-ya of the agricultural department in the southern county of Pingtung told CNN. Invasive species don't just come in the form of exotic pets, but non-native plants as well, which is something to consider when you're planting in your yard or garden. Focusing on native species, whether plant or animal, helps ensure continued biodiversity and ultimately saves on resources (and money, too). Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Independent
26-01-2025
- General
- The Independent
Cash reward as public asked to help mass cull of iguanas in Taiwan
Taiwan is planning to cull up to 120,000 green iguanas wreaking havoc on the island's agricultural sector. Around 200,000 of the reptiles are believed to be in the island's southern and central areas, which are heavily dependent on farming, according Chiu Kuo-hao of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency. Specially recruited hunting teams killed about 70,000 iguanas last year, with bounties of up to $15 each. Local governments have asked the public to help identify iguana nests and they recommend fishing spears as the most humane means of killing the animals. Green iguanas have no natural predators in Taiwan and have moved into areas that can be difficult to access, mostly forests and the edges of towns. Males can grow to 2 feet (6.6 feet) long, weigh 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and live up to 20 years, while females can lay up to 80 eggs at a time. 'A lot of people bought them as cute little pets, not realizing how big and long-lived they would become, so they set them free in the wild, where they've really taken to the Taiwanese environment,' said Lee Chi-ya of the agricultural department in the southern county of Pingtung. 'That's allowed them to reproduce at a considerable rate, necessitating us to cull them and restore the balance of nature.' Mainly native to Central America and the Caribbean, they are not aggressive despite possessing sharp tails and jaws and razor-like teeth. The reptiles subsist on a diet of mostly fruit, leaves and plants, with the occasional small animal thrown in. Though popular as pets, they are difficult to keep healthy in captivity and many die within a year. Hsu Wei-chieh, secretary general of the Reptile Conservation Association of Taiwan, said his group wants to teach farmers how to stay safe, protect their property and treat the iguanas in a humane manner. 'We're here to help see that this project is carried out smoothly,' said Hsu. Tsai Po-wen, a vegetable farmer in Pingtung, said the training was paying off. 'We used to attack them, but it wasn't any use. Now we're learning more effective, safer methods,' Tsai said.
