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256 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 11, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2004 WASILEWSKI

This year, the IUCN Iguana Specialist Group met in a geo-
graphic area other than the Caribbean for the first time,

meeting in Suva, Fiji. The nation of Fiji is located in the South
Pacific and is composed of several hundred islands, of which
about a hundred are permanently inhabited. Two species of
iguanas are native to these islands: the Pacific Banded Iguana,
Brachylophus fasciatus, and the Fijian Crested Iguana,
Brachylophus vitiensis. Both are endangered as a result of essen-
tially the same factors faced by other insular species of iguanas.
The Fijian species are spectacular animals, bright green with blue
bands in the banded form and white bands in the crested form.
Banded Iguanas are documented from 34 Fijian islands and the
Crested Iguanas from only four islands.

The meeting in Suva consisted of two days of intense dis-
cussions and workshops. The Iguana Specialist Group, along
with officials from the University of the South Pacific, The
National Trust of Fiji Islands, and Kula Eco Park, collected pre-
liminary information that will be used to produce a manage-
ment plan for Brachylophus vitiensis.

In addition to the privilege of working on the Conservation
& Management Plan for the Fijian Crested Iguanas, I felt hon-
ored to see them in their natural state. At 3:30 a.m. of the morn-
ing following the meeting, the group visited the island of Yadua
and stayed in the village of Denimanu. We had to be accepted
into the village as guests prior to visiting Yadua Taba, the home
of the Crested Iguana. Once we were accepted as a group, each
individual was adopted by a family from the village and we were
set for an in-depth cultural experience.

The village has no electricity (other than a small gasoline
generator supplying power for a few fluorescent lights) or run-
ning water. Most of the people live in grass huts, which also
became our homes for a few days. All of our meals were prepared
fresh, primarily from fish harvested from the offshore reef. The
reef itself has been monitored for the past four years by a conser-
vation group from the UK called Greenforce. Their study indi-
cates that this is one of the few remaining pristine reefs in the
world and that the harvest is sustainable. Without refrigeration,
the people take only enough to supply their immediate needs.

Although a local Fijian language exists, most people speak
English, especially the children, who attend school on the island
until the eighth grade, and are then sent to the larger islands for
further education if their parents are able to afford it. We were
surprised to find no tables or chairs in the village; everyone sits
on the floor (or ground) with their legs crossed. Hats and sun-
glasses are not permitted and, while alcohol is banned, smoking
is not. Women wear calf-length skirts and men wear a Sulu (or
sarong) during any important event, which seemed to occur
daily. The featured social activity is centered around a drink
called Kava, which is considered a sort of analgesic. Our group
brought Kava root as a gift to the village. The root is pounded
into a paste, which is then added to water. Even drinking Kava
has rules; when it is offered and you wish to partake, simply clap
your hands once, then proceed to drink the entire cup. After
drinking, you hand the cup to the presenter and clap your hands
three times. This gesture assures you of another round. If one
leaves the Kava circle, one must touch the Kava bowl. Never

point your legs (which are supposed to be crossed anyway)
toward the Kava bowl. The drinking bowls were coconut-shell
halves, some small and some quite large. Our scientific curios-
ity piqued, many in the group were prompted to partake of this
unique cultural activity until the wee hours of the morning.

The villagers are quite proud of their native iguanas,
although they are somewhat afraid of them, thinking their size
(maximum SVL of 223 mm and weighing up to 404 g) rivals
that of mythical dragons. Knowing this, Peter Harlow meant to
ask the group to bring along photos of themselves with some of
the huge reptiles some of us have the pleasure of handling on a
daily basis. Unfortunately, he forgot. I had brought along some
photos of different iguana species (Cyclura), but they lacked ref-
erences to size. Included among my photos was one showing me
feeding an 18-foot long crocodile that weighs 800 lbs! That
photo earned me a great deal of attention — and a few more
Kava bowls.

I thank Peter Harlow and the many Fijian naturalists, who
are quite proud of their natural heritage and are willing to work
to preserve it for future generations, for working tirelessly to
make this meeting happen. To the people of Denimanu village,
who most graciously invited us back for a future visit, be careful
what you wish, it may come true — I will return…

L E T T E R  F R O M  T H E  P R E S I D E N T

This photograph of Joe feeding an 800-lb crocodile earned him great
respect from Fijian villagers. Photograph by Stephanie Saybolt.




