Traffickers feed illicit U.S. demand for
iguanas, other wildlife
By LARRY LEE
 SAN LORENZO, Valle --
Last week during a routine
traffic check, soldiers here
next to the Gulf of Fonseca
found a couple taking
hundreds of baby iguanas to
the Salvadoran border.
From there they were to be
shipped to the United States
to become pets.
The pair had about 1,300
iguanas. The animals were
stuffed into cloth bags and the
bottoms of backpacks with
clothing piled on top. Despite
that and the intense heat, fewer than 50 had died.
Also in the pickup, which had a camper top, were 20 young
lizards and an eagle.
The couple were carted before a judge, who set them free citing
their first offense. The animals were also set free in the army's
reserve on the gulf.
"This is just a small part of the trafficking," said Justo García of
CODDEFFEGOLF, which fights to preserve the Gulf of Fonseca
from environmental damage by shrimp farmers.
"This area is an important point in the trafficking of animals," he
added.
Also trafficked are snakes, anteaters and other animals native to
southern Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition to feeding the U.S.
demand, many of the animals are served at Salvadoran tables,
where they are considered a delicacy.
García, who recruits and educates members of the environmental
group, said the traffickers caught last week worked the
Nicaraguan border near Guasaule but were a small-time
operation. He said some people will carry hundreds of thousands
of baby iguanas across blind, or unguarded, border crossings into
El Salvador, often on horseback.
García estimated the fees for those who capture animals at Lps.
60 for a buzzard; Lps. 40 for a boa constrictor; Lps. 4 to 6 for a
baby iguana; Lps. 14 to 18 for an adult lizard; Lps. 15 for an
adult anteater; Lps. 35 to 40 for an eagle; Lps. 15 to 30 for a
baby parakeet; and Lps. 300 to 600 for a baby parrot, which is
hard to catch.
He said he is unsure how much the traffickers get but that it must
be substantial because some have bought their vehicles with their
profits.
This is the prime time of the year for baby iguanas, who began
hatching in March and later climbed trees to grow into adults, safe
from predators on Earth.
But man captures them in the trees. García says that although they
aren't officially listed as endangered, his group believes they could
soon be in trouble if not enough potential mothers survive to lay
eggs next year or the next.
García said no more iguanas or lizards are left on the gulf's
protected Isla de Exposición. He said people came to the island
and stripped it of those reptiles.
Further, a politically connected family has claimed it owns the
island, located near Amapala, where many rich Hondurans have
built luxurious second homes.
García said shipment of animals from El Salvador is easier than
from Honduras because of a lack of vigilance and that babies are
wanted because it's simpler to ship several at one time and they're
easier to domesticate.
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