By KHT Staff. image via KH City Govt.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung will begin offering NT$300 vouchers for each qualifying adult green iguana captured by trained members of the public, as the city focuses its control program on animals most likely to reproduce.
The city’s Agriculture Bureau said the program, due to begin in September, will apply to iguanas measuring at least 30 centimeters from the tip of the snout to the base of the tail.
The change is intended to make limited staff and volunteer resources more effective. Adult iguanas can breed, while many young animals do not survive their first year because of predators, limited food, and environmental conditions.
Green iguanas breed mainly from October through February. Males become more orange or reddish during that period and show stronger territorial and courtship behavior, which can help authorities identify breeding areas.
Females reach breeding age at about two to three years old and can lay dozens of eggs at a time.
Kaohsiung had removed 27,654 green iguanas as of Aug. 25, according to Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency figures. Niaosong District (鳥松區) accounted for 9,661 of those animals, followed by Daliao District (大寮區) with 4,145 and Linyuan District (林園區) with 3,644.
The bureau has held five training sessions for the public. It said 626 people have completed the course and received certification to participate in capture work.
Green iguanas are native to Central and South America but have established invasive populations in southern Taiwan. They can grow to nearly 2 meters in length, much of it tail, and can damage crops and local habitats.
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The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said local governments removed about 260,000 green iguanas nationwide last year, roughly three times the 2024 total. Pingtung County removed 130,288, the highest number in Taiwan, while Kaohsiung removed 62,608.
Green iguanas have now been reported as far north as Miaoli and Hsinchu.
Sources: CNA, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency
