Iguana sails from Mexico to Uran in cargo, rescued

NAVI MUMBAI: A three-ft-long black iguana survived a long and tough sea journey from Mexico to the Uran coast, trapped in a container, which was bringing heavy steel parts from central America. The exotic lizard, a native of Mexico, was rescued by an animal activist at Globicon CFS in Uran, where the container was opened two days ago.
Animal activist Vivek Keni, who is a member of SarpaMitra (friends of snakes) and Vanyajeev Nisarg Saurakshan Sanstha (VNSS), told TOI, "I received a call from a private company which had imported some goods from Mexico to Uran, informing that some 'strange reptile' was found inside a 40-ft-long container that had been opened after being in sea for over 20 days. On reaching Globicon CFS in Koproli, Uran taluka, I was surprised to find an angry iguana staring back at the people from inside the opened container.''
Keni said local forest officials who he informed about this exotic species confirmed to him that the accidental traveller was a 'Black Iguana', also known as black spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis) which is a lizard native to Mexico and some Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
After catching and rescuing the iguana, local forest officials contacted the Pune-based Wildlife Research Centre, where it currently is. "Efforts are on to see how to send this black iguana back to its natural home in Mexico,'' said Keni.
Wildlife activist of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), Pawan Sharma, said, "It is incredible that the iguana survived this difficult sea journey of 20 days from Mexico to Maharashtra inside a dark container. A healthy iguana can stay without food and water for a couple of weeks, if the ambient temperature and environment is suitable. Since there are air vents in normal shipping containers, the trapped iguana could easily breathe while sailing towards Uran."
Black spiny-tailed iguanas are excellent climbers, and prefer a rocky habitat with plenty of crevices to hide in, rocks to bask on, and nearby trees to climb. They are diurnal and fast moving, employing their speed to escape predators.