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World Outrage on the Cruel and Unjustified Death of Six Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas - 6 May 2008

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Blue Iguana Breeding Programme Success 11 June 2008
Very Rare and Large Squid (24 lbs 4 oz, 7 ft long) - found off Little Cayman - 20 May 2008
World Outrage on the Cruel and Unjustified Death of Six Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas - 6 May 2008
Coral Reefs And Climate Change: Microbes Could Be The Key To Coral Death - 1 April 2008
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Green Iguanas taking over in Grand Cayman - 29 October 2007
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John Gray Recyclers Distribute Educational Posters on the Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas - September 2007
JGR Remind Public to Plastic Six Pack Holder Recycle to Preserve the Cayman Islands' environment
The Secret Language of Whales - How it will help with their preservation - 7 March 2007
Iguanas get Royal attention - JGR News - February 2007
Prince Edward visits the Salina Reserve to see the Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas - 4 Feb 2007
Cayman Islands' Dept of Environment's Mangrove Project - 6 February 2007
Global Endangered Species threatened to become extinct without Action - MSN News - January 2007
El Nino and Global Warming - 2007 predicted to be warmest on record - 4 January 2007
Crocodile found in Cayman waters, Old Man Bay, North Side, Grand Cayman - 30 December 2006
Ice Cracks at North Pole - Global Warming - 21 September 2006
Shark that walks on fins is discovered in Indonesia - September 2006
Baby Manatee found in Cayman waters - 4 August 2006
Year 11 John Gray Recyclers Attend Awards Function on Disney Cruise Line - 23 June 2006
Dogs Kill Endangered Blue Iguanas, Botanical Gardens, Grand Cayman - 7 June 2006
Year 11 John Gray Recyclers Win Jiminy Cricket Challenge 2006 - 6 June 2006
John Gray Recyclers have Recycling Global Reach - "Carribean Current" - 1 June 2006
The origins of Cayman's sand - Marnie Laing, Cayman Islands' National Trust - 1 May 2006
Caribbean Coral Threatened by Warming Seas - 24 April 2006
John Gray Recyclers Agape Park Project in the News - 16 February 2006
CaymanNewNews Article on Grand Cayman's Landifll problems following Hurricane Ivan - 18 January 2006
Decline in World Population of Molluscs - 10 January 2006
JGR in the News - Students, businesses get together to help environment - 7 December 2005
UNEP - Global Warming forces Pacific Islanders to move - 6 December 2005
John Gray Recyclers Target Six-pack Holders - 2 December 2005
Cayman Islands Dept of Environmental Health join John Gray Recyclers at Reading Fair - 30 November
Wednesday 30 November marks end of record 2005 hurricane season
Coral Reefs Facing Crisis - 30 November 2005
JGR In the News - Plastic Six-Pack holder Recycling in Grand Cayman - 18 November 2005
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JGR Blog - Mexico's Coral Reefs may take up to 100 years to heal after Wilma - 5 November 2005
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JGR Blog - Cayman Islands' Turtles survive wild Wilma - 1 November 2005
JGR Blog - Erosion a major problem from Hurricane Wilma - Cayman Islands - 1 November 2005
JGR Blog - Iggy Supports Recycling at School Fair - 27 October 2005
JGR Blog - Blue Iguana Rescued - 26 October 2005
JGR Blog - IUCN Article on Climate Change Destruction of World's Coral Reefs - 25 October 2005
JGR Blog - Cayman Islands' Conch/Whelk Season starts 1 November and closes on 30 April 2006
JGR Blog - Turtle Tracking of Cayman Islands' Turtles - 24 October 2005
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JGR Blog - 14 November 2003 - We've got the Baby Blues
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JGR Blog - 19 - 23 October 2003 - the Blue Iguana Programme of the Cayman Islands' National Trust
JGR Blog 29 Sept - 3 Oct 2003 - We continue to track our Grand Cayman turtles in Central America
JGR Blog 22 - 26 Sept 2003 - Tracking our Grand Cayman Sea Turtles
JGR Blog - 18 Sept 2003 - John Gray High School Club Fair
JGR Blog - 15 - 19 Sept 2003 - Opening of Stephen Jared Youth Centre
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9 May 2008

blue-iguana-old-wild-female-2574.jpg
A wild Grand Cayman Blue Iguana was added to the breeding program prior to this dreadful attack on 3 May 2008.  It had apparently walked four miles!

Link to caymannewsservice.com to find out more about the wild Blue Iguana added to the breeding program

8 May 2008

A specialist vet has arrived to look after Archie and Billie - Click link to read more

7 May 2008

Matthias succumbs to his injuries - 7 May 2008 - and the death toll rises from six to seven. Read more by following this link to the "Caymanian Compass"

Dr Colin Wakelin attempts to save Jessica - one of
the six Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas killed over the weekend 3-4 May 2008

World News - picture, video and slide show - information on the six blue iguanas Stomped to Death

Link to BBC article on slaughter of six blue Grand Cayman Iguanas - Dr Colin Wakelin attempts to save Jessica

Follow link to Grand Cayman Blue Iguana Recovery Website and find out more about the senseless and very cruel killing of God's precious creatures!

Follow this link to the International Reptile Conservation Foundation's website and find out more how they are remembering the Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas that died so cruelly on Saturday, 3 May 2008

Follow this link to the article in the "Caymanian Compass" about the death of six Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas

Six blue iguanas are confirmed dead, one is missing and three others are injured after an attack at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park Saturday night.

Fred Burton

Mr. Fred Burton, Director of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, attempts to comfort Jessica as he consults with an overseas veterinarian by phone. Photo: Carol Winker

The nine animals represent one–third of the adult breeding iguanas cared for at the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme captive facility in the park.

Programme Director Fred Burton said the animals appeared to have massive internal injuries, as if they had been stomped on violently and repeatedly. Some were cut.

The missing iguana is Pedro. Entrails were found outside his pen, but no body had been discovered by Sunday evening. He is believed to be dead.

Senior Iguana Warden John Marotta confirmed that Pedro, “the bluest of the blues”, was the animal introduced to Prince Edward during his visit last year.

All of the animals are named and have personalities that made the incident that much harder to bear for the volunteers who work with them and everyone involved in the programme. Several of the animals have been sponsored by businesses or school groups that take personal interest in their iguanas. Pedro, for example, was sponsored by Webster’s Tours.

Ms Samantha Hicks said volunteers discovered the scene when they unlocked the gates around 9am on Sunday.

One animal was lying on the ground nearby, a left leg missing. He was quickly identified at Eldemire, who had been christened by businessman Kent Eldemire.

The next animal found was Jessica. She was also out of her pen and badly beaten.

A quick check revealed more devastating news. Sara, considered the matriarch of the facility at age 22, was dead in her pen. She was the mother of Pedro and Jessica and had been preparing to lay eggs.

Two males were also found dead in their pens: Digger, sponsored by Simon Hicks, and Yellow, sponsored by Caribbean Publishers.

Males Archie and Billy were injured, as was the female Elwood, sponsored by Wood’s Furniture.

Volunteers notified Mr. Burton, who quickly attended the scene. Enforcement Officer Carl Edwards, from the Department of Environment attended, fast followed by police officers who examined the scene and began their investigation.

Mr. Burton said Dr. Colin Wakelin from the Department of Agriculture treated surviving victims. He closed a large gash in one of the animals and applied antiseptic to others.

Jessica, who had also been preparing to lay eggs, made it through the day, but was showing signs of severe stress and shock. Mr. Burton called the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. The veterinarian there recommended fluids, steroids for shock and antibiotics because it was feared that the eggs would have ruptured.

Mr. Burton and DoE Officer Mat DaCosta–Cottam carried Jessica to St. Matthew’s Veterinary School, where Mr. Wakelin attempted to stabilise her. Despite everyone’s best efforts, she died Sunday night.

The person or persons responsible may have broken into the park after closing hours and found a way into the fenced–in captive breeding facility, Mr. Burton said.

Mr. Marotta pointed out there was no noticeable damage to the fence or gate or any of the structures inside. Juvenile iguanas were not interfered with.

The breeding adults all have large open penned areas with three–foot walls, natural vegetation and natural or man–made retreats where they sleep.

Mr. Marotta said most iguanas tend to settle down for the night around sundown, but the males who were killed liked to stay out a little later. They were also inquisitive and willing to show themselves. But these iguanas would also have been inside their retreats before dark.

Park staff and all who visited the captive facility on Sunday just shook their heads as they wondered why anyone would want to hurt the endangered blue iguanas, which are found no where else in the world.

They were considered to be at the point of extinction until the recovery programme began in the early 1990s. The population has grown, but not enough yet for the blue iguana to come off the endangered species list. It is believed there are about 400 Blues in the Eastern districts.

Mr. Burton urged anyone with relevant information about this violent attack to contact the Royal Cayman Islands Police.

He said Mr. Wakelin was making arrangements for an autopsy, or possibly several, to determine precise cause of death.

Follow link to article in "Caymanewsservice.com"

World outrage on death of the Blues

Posted Tuesday, 6 May 2008 - Cayman News Service


As the news of  the brutal killing of six Blue Iguanas last

weekend begins to spread beyond the Cayman Islands, an international partner of the National Trust’s Blue Iguana Recovery Program (BIRP), the International Reptile Conservation Foundation (IRCF), has received countless international letters of condolence and expressions of outrage that something like this could happen, according to the Foundation’s CEO, John Binns. One of a number of people who commented on Monday’s article about the slaughter of the iguanas, Binns said the IRCF received a text message from BIRP Director Fred Burton shortly after the horrifying discovery.

“The news was sickening and brought tears to our eyes. The victims were all animals we knew and loved. Each had come to trust the humans who were responsible for their care. Each served as one of the precious remaining representative of their species, producing offspring to help replenish and secure Grand Cayman’s Blue Iguana population for the long term. Their loss is beyond words for all of us,” said Binns.


”The crime carried out by these perpetrators is unspeakable, a cruelty of the lowest kind. This is an immense loss of a National Treasure for the people of the Cayman Islands, for those of us who have struggled to bring them back from the edge of extinction and work to ensure their survival, and for those around the world who have come to admire and respect these magnificent gentle blue giants.”

He added, “We hope the perpetrators of this hideous crime are swiftly caught and punished accordingly.”
Another comment came from Rebecca Hinkley, who said
the shocking report of the Blue Iguanas’ murder was not an isolated incident. “I witnessed a similar torture of a green Iguana over the weekend at the Royal Palms car park. I am deeply saddened and upset by this type of blatant disregard for the lives and well being for animals on this Island, which it appears, in many cases, is ignored.” Hinkley said she witnessed a father and his two sons torturing and trying to kill a large green iguana.  

“They caught the iguana by a wire around its neck and held up in the air strangling it by the wire. I tried to stop them and pleaded with them to leave it alone but was met with nasty insulting remarks and comments. They proceeded to tell me that they were going to eat it and I should leave them alone and mind my own business. The father then tried to stand on the head of the iguana and squash it.”

Binns said, “Somehow, from this horrific event and others such as the torturing of Green Iguanas as noted in Rebecca Hinkley’s response, we hope something positive can be learned. These tales of senseless torture, extreme cruelty, and killing will hopefully help to develop public awareness as well as an attitude of kindness and respect towards the reptiles that inhabit such a beautiful tropical island. Without them, paradise is truly lost.”

This article was prepared by Cayman News Service and you can reply to them below:

reply@caymannewsservice.com

Very Rare and Large Squid (24 lbs 4 oz, 7 ft long) - found off Little Cayman - 20 May 2008