Over 1,400 land iguanas were released onto Santiago Island of the Galápagos Islands after vanishing nearly 200 years ago.

(Galápagos National Park)

At a Glance

Over 1,400 land iguanas were released onto Santiago Island of the Galápagos.Iguanas vanished from the island nearly 200 years ago due to invasive species.The last report of iguanas on the island was in 1835 by Charles Darwin.

Iguanas vanished from an island in the Galápagos nearly 200 years ago after invasive predators overran the lizard population. Now, more than 1,400 iguanas were released to reclaim the island, thanks to an effort by the islands' national park officials.

The Galápagos National Park announced recently that as part of an ecological restoration effort in partnership with the Massey University of New Zealand and the Island Conservation organization.

The iguanas — which were last seen in 1835 by Charles Darwin — were brought over from North Seymour Island and released in the coastal areas of Santiago Island known as Puerto Nuevo and Bucanero.

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Invasive species such as feral pigs, cats, rats and dogs hunted young iguanas and their eggs and competed with the lizards for food, leading to their disappearance. But a project eradicated feral pigs from Santiago Island in 2001, said Galápagos National Park Director Jorge Carrión.

Danny Rueda, director of ecosystems on the Galápagos National Park board, noted that the North Seymour Island iguana population will be protected in order to avoid any impact on the island's cactus coverage, which has been lessening since 2016.

"The terrestrial iguana is an herbivore that helps ecosystems by dispersing seeds and maintaining open spaces without vegetation," said Rueda.

North Seymour Island's population of about 5,000 iguanas will be protected by national park officials, since food is limited.

Officials will oversee the newly introduced iguana population as they establish themselves and make sure nesting areas are protected from species like ants and rodents.

"This management action, which will guarantee the ecological integrity of Seymour Norte and a successful establishment of the iguanas in Santiago, has been taken based on technical and scientific information," said Carrión.