3 men were caught on camera chasing a large iguana along I-95. Here’s why
Why did an iguana cross Interstate 95?
Maybe the scaly critter wanted to test how nice South Floridians are.
After all, the lizard’s relationship with Florida is complicated.
Despite being one of the most popular reptile pets in America, iguanas are considered a pest by many who say they are damaging South Florida’s natural ecosystem and infrastructure.
Florida’s Fish and Wildlife agency even gave people the green light this year to “humanely kill green iguanas on their own property whenever possible” in an attempt to curb and control the growing population.
The announcement brought a flurry of questions and criticism from animal-advocate organizations, including PETA, which questioned the state agency’s encouragement and lack of instruction on how to “humanely” kill an iguana.
To make things more complicated, saving an iguana — an invasive species — will also get you into trouble. That’s what happened to a Pinecrest police officer several years ago.
But luckily for one iguana, it found a friend in Cintia Amstalden.
The South Florida resident said she grew worried when she saw the “majestic” creature walking along I-95’s Spanish River exit in Boca Raton on Tuesday morning.
Amstalden said she pulled over and tried to rescue the lizard, but it kept running away.
“These nice men ... saw a crazy lady on the highway, me, and stopped to see if I was OK,” Amstalden wrote on Facebook.
When she told them what she was doing, Amstalden said they agreed to help.
In a video shared with the Miami Herald, you can see the men chase after the elusive lizard before corralling it against the wall. The man in the orange shirt then carries it to the other side of the ramp and releases it onto a grassy area.
The large iguana then sped off, leaving its saviors in the dust.
“These men deserve recognition,” Amstalden told the Miami Herald. “They risked their lives ... and probably prevented accidents from happening from people trying to avoid hitting it.”
This story was originally published November 28, 2019 at 7:00 AM with the headline "3 men were caught on camera chasing a large iguana along I-95. Here’s why."
