Anegada Rock Iguana Headstart Facility

The Anegada Rock Iguana Headstart Facility is a wildlife conservation facility located in The Settlement on the island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands, dedicated to protecting the critically endangered Anegada Rock Iguana (Cyclura pinguis), a species found nowhere else on Earth. Established by the BVI National Parks Trust in 1997 and supported since 1998 by the Fort Worth Zoo, the facility raises iguana hatchlings in a safe environment, feeding them native plants and monitoring their growth until they reach a size at which their survival odds improve significantly before releasing them into managed wild areas. With fewer than 200 individuals once remaining in the wild, the program has successfully released nearly 300 iguanas, effectively doubling the wild population. The facility welcomes visitors interested in conservation and serves as an inspiring example of species recovery in the Caribbean.