PINGTUNG (TVBS News) — The Taiwanese government has intensified efforts to control the invasive green iguana population, removing more than 46,000 iguanas between January and August 2024. Pingtung County (屏東縣) accounted for nearly half of the removals. In 2019, 8,068 iguanas were captured nationwide, and 57,738 were removed in 2023.
The Pingtung County Government's Department of Agriculture (屏東縣府農業處) attributed the growing iguana population to their high reproductive rate. Female iguanas reach sexual maturity in about three years and lay numerous eggs with a high hatch rate. The absence of natural predators has allowed the population to grow rapidly in the wild.
To address this, the county introduced a reward program in 2018, allowing residents to exchange captured iguanas for agricultural products. The county also launched a public awareness campaign promoting the 1959 animal protection hotline and removal rewards to curb the species' spread.
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (林業保育署) noted that Taiwan's climate is similar to the iguanas' native habitat, which, along with their reproductive potential, has made controlling the invasion difficult. While the iguanas are mainly concentrated in central and southern Taiwan, no spread to northern regions has been detected, and targeted removal efforts continue.