In an attempt to thin the reptile population in the barrier island municipality, in 2022 city officials resolved to institute an "iguana remediation program" with a $435,000 annual budget to "humanely" remove — which is to say kill, then dispose of — the cold-blooded reptiles from public property in South Beach, Mid-Beach, and North Beach.
The resolution budgeted $70 per removed iguana, noting that the retail rate was $100. According to a city spokesperson, more than 10,000 iguanas have been "remediated" to date.
But in a recent Facebook post, an onlooker pointedly questioned what constitutes "humane" when it comes to iguana removal. On Thursday, March 20, a woman posted photos of one of the city's contractors as he shot a small iguana out of a tree, then stuffed the wounded creature into a bag.
"The vile iguana killing operation is back," Christine King, a jewelry vendor who operates a stand in Miami Beach, wrote. "Today the baby iguana splattered a tourist when falling from the tree after being shot. The guy then picked it up STILL ALIVE and stuffed it in a trash bag, so it can now suffocate while bleeding out. I had to help the tourist clean up the blood from her arm and shoes. She was naturally disgusted and said, 'This is inhumane.' Please stop this!!!"
King tells New Times that the incident was "really disturbing." She says the contractor, who appears to work for the Iguana Control company, shot at the reptile several times before falling to the pavement and was wriggling when the worker put it in the bag.
"This guy didn't give a damn that the iguana he just shot splattered on the tourist," King adds. "He just walked away. Meanwhile, she was like, 'My God, what just happened to me?'"
What Constitutes Humane Removal of an Iguana?
On its website, the Florida Fish and Wildlife and Conservation Commission (FWC) calls for a two-step process for humanely dispatching nonnative reptiles."Step 1: Your method should result in the animal losing consciousness immediately. Step 2: You should then destroy the animal's brain by 'pithing,' which prevents the animal from regaining consciousness."
To achieve the first objective, the FWC recommends the use of a firearm, air gun, or captive bolt (a device commonly used in slaughterhouses). As for pithing, instructions call for inserting "a small rod (a rigid metal tool like a screwdriver, spike, or pick) into the cranial cavity using deliberate, multi-directional movement, ensuring destruction of the entire brain."
"Nonnative reptiles are not protected in Florida except by anti-cruelty law," FWC's website notes. "There is an ethical and legal obligation to ensure nonnative reptiles are killed in a humane manner."
Linda-Lee Stevens, the assistant director at the city's marketing and communications office, tells New Times in an email that the city is aware of the post and addressed the incident with the contractor.
"In accordance with a 2022 city commission resolution prioritizing the removal of invasive iguanas, the city administration authorized several iguana remediation firms to remove the invasive species from a rotating list of city-owned parks and green spaces," she writes.
Under their contracts with the city, Stevens adds, the firms are obligated to follow FWC recommendations for humane euthanasia.
