Jamaican Rock Iguana

A Critically Endangered Jamaican Rock Iguana rests within the Hellshire Hills, Portland Bight Protected Area, Jamaica. The International Iguana Foundation, with the support of USAID, through the Caribbean Regional Program of USFWS, works with local stakeholders to protect and manage this iconic endemic species. Once thought to be extinct, this species was rediscovered in the 1990s and has since been the focus of intensive conservation efforts. Preliminary surveys located only a handful of old individuals. Through invasive species control, protection and monitoring, and a head starting program, more than 600 iguanas now reside within the Hellshire Hills, making this a globally recognized conservation success on track to becoming a self-sustaining species in the near future. Location: Hellshire Hills, Jamaica Photographer: Joey Markx, International Iguana Foundation