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Iguanas Rescued from Smugglers Find New Home at Shedd Aquarium

By David Matthews | August 6, 2015 2:25pm | Updated on August 7, 2015 10:13am
 The iguanas, native to the Bahamas, were previously at the Los Angeles Zoo.
The iguanas, native to the Bahamas, were previously at the Los Angeles Zoo.
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Shedd Aquarium

SHEDD AQUARIUM — Two iguanas that were rescued after being kidnapped by international exotic animal smugglers have found a new home at Chicago's own Shedd Aquarium. 

The Downtown museum at 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive on Thursday debuted two Exuma Island Rock Iguanas, specimens of a critically endangered species whose Bahamian population has dwindled to just 2,000. 

The unnamed adult iguanas, a male and a female who are both more than 20 years old, were acquired from the Los Angeles Zoo, which received the lizards from federal authorities in 1998 after they were stolen from their natural habitat by smugglers and sold to an illegal pet dealer in Florida. Iguanas typically live to be 50 or older.

In a statement, the Shedd underscored the importance of its role protecting endangered animals.

“Being able to learn about the animals in our care while simultaneously educating the public about the dangers they face and the hope we can provide for their species is a great source of pride," George Parsons, Shedd's senior director of fishes, said in a statement.

Shedd said the iguanas "are the largest native herbivores on the islands," and "play a vital ecological role by regulating plant communities in the dry forests and scrub habitats that they inhabit." They can grow to four feet long and weigh more than 20 pounds.

Check out this video below of the new iguanas at the aquarium.  

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