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6-foot iguana captured in Waimanalo

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COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

A resident doing yard work found this iguana in Waimanalo on Sunday.

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COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

This 6-foot-long iguana was captured Sunday in Waimanalo.

A 6-foot-long iguana was captured in Waimanalo over the weekend, the state Department of Agriculture said.

A resident found the lizard Sunday while doing yard work and called the state’s pest hotline at about noon Sunday. The resident contained the animal, and inspectors from the Agriculture Department picked up the iguana in the afternoon.

Iguanas can reach up to six feet in length and have powerful tails that can fend off enemies. The lizards are native to central Mexico through South America, but they are believed to be established in parts of Oahu, the Agriculture Department said. The lizards are mainly vegetarians, but are known to disturb bird nests and feed on eggs.

It is illegal to own, import, or transport iguanas in Hawaii. Anyone in possession of illegal animals may face up to $200,000 in fines and three years in prison.

Anyone with information on illegal animals should call the state’s pest hotline at 643-PEST (7378). The Agriculture Department urged those possessing illegal animals to turn them in under the state’s amnesty program, which provides immunity from prosecution.

20 responses to “6-foot iguana captured in Waimanalo”

  1. lokela says:

    Godzilla is in our midst. That one is a big boy.

  2. primo1 says:

    Hope that wasn’t a female.

  3. Carang_da_buggahz says:

    Established? Our native wildlife is sooo screwed. Just imagine how much a 6 foot iguana has to consume daily. And now these things are reproducing in the wild?

  4. DDOrange says:

    6 foot? Don’t think so.

  5. Bothrops says:

    they are quite tasty, like chicken.

  6. HawaiiCheeseBall says:

    Big buggah.

  7. Bdpapa says:

    Got’em, good job!

  8. 808comp says:

    Be careful you might get up in the middle of the night and one of those may be on the bed with you.
    Some claws on that thing.

  9. TigerEye says:

    C’mon. Unless the DOA stocks yard-long newspapers in it’s office, that animal is under 40 inches. I think the writer just reported the specie’s maximum size without actually taking a look at it.

  10. WalkoffBalk says:

    Eating barbeque iguana.

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