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While some consider the nonnative lizards to be a great tourist attraction, others believe the iguanas are nothing but pests who demolish gardens, eat bird eggs and nest in attics.
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An iguana runs across a dirt road near Gasparilla Island State Park. While some consider the exotic lizards a beneficial tourist attraction, others think they're pests that demolish gardens, eat bird eggs and nest in attics.
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Students and teachers from Charlotte County's Vineland Elementary School walk along the beach at the Gasparilla Island State Park in Boca Grande during a field trip. Since all animals in the park are protected, the iguanas are plentiful.
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John Bourgoin carries away a caged iguana. Bourgoin, a resident of Boca Grande, sets up several cages each day. He and friends estimate they've captured 200 iguanas since January.
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While some consider the nonnative lizards to be a great tourist attraction, others believe the iguanas are nothing but pests who demolish gardens, eat bird eggs and nest in attics.
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A message carved into a bench outside an ice cream shop in Boca Grande reads: "Iguanan hunter. Reasonable rates. Inquire within." Although the message may be tongue-in-cheek, some residents are paying others to hunt iguanas to reduce the number of invasive lizards.
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John Bourgoin slices bananas to use as bait in an iguana traps. Bourgoin and several friends are part of a loose ring of Boca Grande residents taking eradication of the exotic invasive lizard into their own hands.
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A black spinytail iguana hides in a tree at a park in Boca Grande. The increasing iguana population in Boca Grande has reached critical mass, leading Lee County leaders to ask the island's 1,200 residents to pay additional taxes to get the lizard population under control. The number of iguanas in the area is estimated to be well over 10,000.
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