Experts estimate endangered Galapagos pink iguana population at 211

Scientific professionals sent to the Galapagos Islands to depend a critically endangered lizard species estimate there to be just 211 pink iguanas still left, area authorities said Friday.

Close to 30 experts and Galapagos park rangers took element in the expedition this month on Wolf Volcano, in the north of Isabela Island—the biggest on the archipelago.

“In the census, 53 iguanas ended up positioned and (quickly) captured, 94 p.c of which stay far more than 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) over sea degree,” stated the Galapagos Nationwide Parks (PNG) in a statement.

That allowed the gurus to “estimate a populace of 211 pink iguanas.”

The pink iguanas ended up initially identified in 1986 and determined as a separate species from the Galapagos land iguana in 2009.

They reside exclusively in a 25 sq. kilometer (9.5 square miles) space on the Wolf Volcano, where the PNG has set up cameras to research the iguanas’ conduct and the threats they deal with.

Prior to the census, Ecuadoran expert Washington Tapia advised AFP that there could be as lots of as 350 pink iguanas.

So far, “no juveniles have been found out,” mentioned Tapia, the director of the American Galapagos Conservancy NGO that took component in the expedition.

In rates launched by PNG on Friday, Tapia claimed “currently being limited to 1 single internet site makes the species more vulnerable.”

“Urgent action is essential to assurance their preservation.”

The Galapagos Islands are a guarded wildlife area and home to exceptional species of flora and fauna.

They lie 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) west of Ecuador.

The archipelago was produced famous by British geologist and naturalist Charles Darwin’s observations on evolution soon after visiting the islands.

© 2021 AFP