"This isn't the wild west": Florida authorities clarify state's invasive iguana policy after public outcry
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) has tempered its approach to decreasing the state's invasive green iguana population — after a statement earlier this month instructing residents to kill the creatures "whenever possible" garnered outrage from citizens and animal activist groups.
The agency released a new statement titled, "FWC provides additional information on iguana removal," last week in an apparent attempt to clarify its prior message.
"Unfortunately, the message has been conveyed that we are asking the public to just go out there and shoot them up," said FWC Commissioner Rodney Barreto, according to the release. "This is not what we are about; this is not the 'wild west.' If you are not capable of safely removing iguanas from your property, please seek assistance from professionals who do this for a living."
The agency's initial missive called for "homeowners to humanely kill green iguanas on their own property whenever possible."
"Iguanas can also be killed year-round and without a permit on 22 public lands in south Florida," read the first paragraph of the organization's information page on the species originally.
The controversial sentences have been removed from the first paragraph of the commission's page on the animals. The new statement did reiterate that the species are not protected in the state — except by anti-cruelty laws.
The agency's website also adds that homeowners who trap the animals, "may be able" to access euthanasia services from local exotic vets, humane societies or animal control offices, depending on location and availability. The FWC also recommends removing plants that attract the animal or hanging wind chimes, as means to deter them from frequenting the area around a home.
The population of the species has ballooned in Florida, thriving in the climate of the Sunshine State. The creatures are considered to be invasive based on the damage they have caused to seawalls, sidewalks and landscape plants. They do not pose a threat to humans and can be kept as pets in Florida.