ACO Leslie Badger assists with rescue of lost pet iguana

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May 21, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer (courtesy photos)

When Hingham Animal Control Officer Leslie Badger started her day on Thursday, she didn't anticipate meeting up with a four-foot-long pet iguana who was on the loose.

But that's what happened after the Hull DPW put in an emergency call for her services.  (Badger is currently on-call for emergencies in Hull, Cohasset, and Norwell until they hire their own ACOs.)

When Badger arrived at the Hull DPW headquarters near the Hingham-Hull town line yesterday, she was told that an iguana had made its way into the engine compartment under the hood of one of the pick-up trucks.

A DPW worker made the surprising discovery when upon returning from vacation, he set about to do some work on the vehicle. "The iguana had really gotten herself into a tight spot, so it was difficult to get her out," Badger said.

It was suggested that once the truck was warmed by the sunshine, the iguana might make her way out on her own. Badger and the DPW crew waited patiently, and sure enough, out the iguana came and headed for a rock. "We were ready for her," Badger said. "We were able to carefully capture here with a snare, calm her down, and get her into a crate and inside my truck."

The iguana was taken to the New England Wildlife Center for treatment, where she remains for now. "She was a little in shock and dehydrated, but it was obvious that whoever owns her had put a lot of effort and time into taking care of her," Badger said.

It's unclear whether the iguana escaped on its own. The Wildlife Center will keep the iguana there for a week -- state law requires a waiting period of seven days before the adoption process can take place -- to ensure she is receiving the proper care.

If the owner doesn't reclaim her within that timeframe and the iguana remains healthy, she can then be put up for adoption.

"She is very sweet," Badger said. "She crawled up onto me at one point and went to sleep."

The iguana, who hasn't yet been named pending the possibility that her owner might reclaim her, is between two- to three-years-old. "She still has some growing to do," Badger said.

The iguana is clearly someone's pet, because iguanas aren't native to this area.  "We wanted to be sure she didn't get away and then disappear, because she wouldn't have survived," Badger said.

If the iguana is ultimately put up for adoption, it's important to find the right person to take on that responsibility.

"The new owner would need to be knowledgeable about iguanas -- they require specific enclosures, proper care, warmth, and the right kind of food, including leafy vegetables -- and the time to care for her," Badger said. "Iguanas can live for a long time -- many, many years -- if properly cared for."

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