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222 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 RUPP, INCHÁUSTEGUI, AND ARIAS

Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii) on Isla Cabritos.

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After the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group drafted a
species recovery plan for Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii)

during a workshop in Santo Domingo on 17–18 November
2002, Grupo Jaragua (GJ) began systematically searching for
populations on the Barahona Peninsula. Work was initiated in
December 2002 by looking for informants who would share
their knowledge of the species. Subsequently, GJ scheduled field
trips to verify the information.

On 8 April 2003, we found the first signs of a Ricord’s
Iguana. They consisted of a head, a stomach, and the intestines

of a freshly killed animal. The body was gone. Somebody had
taken it, possibly with the intention of preparing a meal. Since
then we have been able to find more animals, live ones, their
dens and nests. Major help in making these discoveries accrued
from the integration of a young man from Pedernales into our
research team. His name is Miguel Mella Pérez. Salvador (the
Savior), as he is commonly known, never had a formal educa-
tion. He spent most of his youth hunting and trapping iguanas
with his uncle “Turco,” who was a folkloric figure who made a
living catching and selling iguanas. Turco was killed in a gun-

Conservation of Cyclura ricordii in the
Southwestern Dominican Republic and a

Brief History of the Grupo Jaragua
Ernst Rupp, Sixto Incháustegui, and Yvonne Arias

Grupo Jaragua Inc.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Photographs by Ernst Rupp unless otherwise indicated.

IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 223CONSERVATION OF CYCLURA RICORDII

�

Young Ricord’s Iguanas (Cyclura ricordii) are testament to successful recruitment into extant populations.



fight 17 years ago when he tried to recover some of his stolen
goats. Salvador is still pursuing iguanas, but now for the good of
the species. With his gift of patient observation, he has acquired
an immense knowledge about iguanas that has helped us to
compile valuable data needed for the conservation of the species.
Also strengthening our research efforts was the involvement of
Jairo Isaa Matos Arache. Pirín, as we call him, made it to 3rd
grade. He spent many years trying to make ends meet by burn-
ing and selling charcoal. Now he is dedicated to conservation
work. He is an excellent field assistant with a natural curiosity.
He has been crucial in developing the simple methods that we
use in our research on nesting ecology.

On the Barahona Peninsula, C. ricordii can be found in an
area of about 32 km2 just to the east of the town of Pedernales.
The area surrounds a low alluvial plain called “Los Olivares,”
which consists of fertile reddish soils. During the past 30 years,
Los Olivares (8 km2) has been successively cleared to make way
for agricultural production under irrigation. Unfortunately, this
area also has been the major living and nesting grounds of 
C. ricordii. According to Salvador and other local residents, the
species maintained high population densities in Los Olivares
before clearing began. The species is now confined to the periph-
ery of Los Olivares, an area that consists of a mosaic of smaller
depressions filled with reddish soils (fondos), marine terraces of
limestone rock, and intervening areas covered by gravel and
boulders. Although of less value for agriculture, this periphery is
conducive to the production of free-ranging cattle. The land in
the area is owned by the state. In 2003, it had no legal protec-

224 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 RUPP, INCHÁUSTEGUI, AND ARIAS

Salvador (Miguel Mella Pérez) with a Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta).

Pirín (Jairo Isaa Matos Arache) measuring the depth of a Cyclura
ricordii nest.



IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 225CONSERVATION OF CYCLURA RICORDII

tive status, and persons with the necessary financial means often
enclose state land with fences before clearing it and then declar-
ing it to be their own property.

Pedernales is a small border town with a population of
about 12,000. The jobless rate is above 50%. The proximity to
impoverished Haiti aggravates the economic situation. Many
Haitian citizens are illegally crossing the border trying to earn a
meager living by clearing land to produce short-term crops or
burn charcoal.

Limestone mining and the production of cement in the
Cabo Rojo area have generated some income during the past
two years. Bauxite mines in the lower regions of the nearby
Sierra de Bahoruco also have been reopened. These activities,

though economically beneficial to a small percentage of
Pedernales residents, have had a high environmental cost in the
form of dust pollution and destruction of iguana (C. cornuta)
habitat.

Being aware of the imminent danger of more destruction
of remnant C. ricordii habitat, GJ decided to initiate conserva-
tion measures based on a bottom-up approach. The basic prin-
ciples of this approach are: (1) Integration, participation, and
empowerment of the main stakeholders in the local community
in the conservation process. (2) An effective educational pro-
gram to inform and convince the local community of the
importance and value of endangered species. (3) Conservation
activities that generate economic benefits for the community.

Map of the southwestern Dominican Republic showing the areas where Ricord’s Iguanas (Cyclura ricordii) are known to occur.

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A local support group has been formed. Members of this
group are young women and men from Pedernales, whose love
for nature has committed them to conservation. GJ has provided
logistical support and training as nature guides. The principal
person responsible for this process is Laura Perdomo. Laura
never seems to get tired and never stops smiling. She studied vet-
erinary medicine at the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez
Ureña, Santo Domingo, and holds a Master’s degree in
Management and Conservation of Wildlife from the
Universidad Nacional de Heredia, Costa Rica.

The local support group has formed its own association of
nature guides (AGUINAPE). Apart from showing visitors the
wonderful and unique natural attractions around Pedernales,
they also are involved in environmental education in local
schools and run a radio program to inform the general public of
environmental issues. AGUINAPE plays an important role in
the strategy of promoting ecotourism in the southwestern region
of the country, which has been declared a Biosphere Reserve by
UNESCO. Strong pressure exists from influential political
groups to bring mass tourism to the region and turn the last pris-
tine beaches into high-capacity resorts. GJ has been spearhead-
ing a resistance movement to counteract those plans and to
develop alternative tourist concepts that keep intact the natural
resources of the region. In May of this year, the members of the
town council of Pedernales voted in favor of a resolution that
declares their hometown a “Town of Sustainable Tourism.” This
resolution was the result of a process involving intense discus-
sions by local stakeholders, including small business entrepre-
neurs, to decide their own future. They decided in favor of sus-
tainable tourism.

The town council passed another resolution in September.
This establishes two “Espacios Municipales Protegidos”
(Municipal Protected Areas). One involves wetlands close to
Cabo Rojo that serve as an important bird sanctuary. The other,
with an area of 85 km2, covers most of the presently known 
C. ricordii range north and east of Los Olivares as well as a fairly
extensive buffer zone. A nature path is being built to allow visi-

226 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 RUPP, INCHÁUSTEGUI, AND ARIAS

Hatchling Cyclura ricordii in the Fondo de la Malagueta, about 5 km northeast of Pedernales. The nest was excavated between 19 May and 1
June 2004. Emergence of the hatchling occurred on 2 September. How long the hatchling spent in the nest after hatching is unknown.

Hatchling Cyclura ricordii in the Fondo de la Malagueta, about 5 km
northeast of Pedernales.



IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 227CONSERVATION OF CYCLURA RICORDII

tors to actually watch Ricord’s and Rhinoceros iguanas in the
adjacent marine terrace. Members of AGUINAPE will guide
tourists on the path, and Salvador is providing the necessary
training to find and correctly identify animals at a distance.

Two other local groups have access to the protected areas.
One is the “Asociación de Bosque Seco” (Dry Forest Association),

which extracts dead wood from the northern part of the pro-
tected area, where vegetation is denser. This association had been
active in the zone long before the protected area was declared. To
stop their activities would have created a social conflict that may
have put in jeopardy the success of the resolution. The other
group consists of beekeepers who are allowed to place hives in

Laura Perdomo (center) on an excursion with nature guides from Oviedo.

Members of AGUINAPE during their general assembly meeting. Esteban Garrido is on the left, second row.



designated spots. Fences are presently built in strategic areas to
prevent entry into the area by free-ranging cattle.

The man responsible for the lobbying that was necessary to
convince the mayor and members of the city council of the
importance of establishing a protected area for Ricord’s Iguanas
is Alcibíades Ledesma. He was born in Pedernales and is an agri-
cultural engineer by profession. He is the director of the
“Unidad de Gestión Ambiental Municipal” (Municipal
Environmental Unit) and is responsible for the improvement of
environmental conditions in and around Pedernales. His love
for and dedication to the local flora and fauna make him a valu-
able ally. Another important ally has been the Vice-secretary of
Protected Areas and Biodiversity of the Ministry of
Environment and Natural Resources, Angel Daneris Santana,
who has cleared the legal pathways in order to establish the local
municipal protected areas.

While Ricord’s Iguanas may have gained some time and space
to breathe more freely on the Barahona Peninsula, the situation
for the population along the southern shore of Lago Enriquillo
is still uncertain. In May 2005, GJ began focusing considerable
attention on that area. We have found juveniles and adults, but
the actual distribution of the species in that region has not yet
been studied.

The future of the species may be bleak for those iguanas.
The area has no legal protected status. The vegetation where
Ricord’s Iguanas are found is impoverished. Intensive charcoal
burning in the past seems to have taken a heavy toll on the orig-
inal flora. Today, vegetation is dominated by only a few species

(Prosopis juliflora, Cylindropuntia caribaea, Opuntia moniliformis,
and Cephalocereus polygonus).

Trapping of iguanas and excavation of their dens also appears
to be a major problem. Signs of these activities can be seen every-
where. The problem is aggravated by the fact that people in the
area believe that iguanas are a deadly threat to young goats.
According to well-circulated stories that have never been substan-
tiated, iguanas crawl under the bellies of young goats, rip the bel-
lies open with their sharp crests, and supposedly eat the goats.
Overcoming such notoriety is difficult, and goat owners are not
very happy to find iguanas in close vicinity to their animals.

In addition to all the problems already listed, habitat
destruction is rampant. Just recently, the senator of the province
ran a bulldozer through the area and opened up a 4 km-long

228 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 RUPP, INCHÁUSTEGUI, AND ARIAS

Alcibiades Ledesma and Ernst Rupp discussed the resolution of protected areas with the mayor and members of the town council of Pedernales
well into the night.

Sixto Incháustegui with Gloria Santana and other colleagues during
field work at Enriquillo Lake.

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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 229CONSERVATION OF CYCLURA RICORDII

strip with the intention of clearing the land for agriculture. This
illegal action within a RAMSAR Site has been denounced by the
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, which has
taken legal action against the senator. The case was highlighted
by the press and constituted one of the biggest recent environ-
mental scandals in the country. Nevertheless, the damage has
already been done.

In a situation where the majority of the people are without
a stable income, clearing land for agricultural production is often
popular and is perceived as an appropriate measure for improv-
ing the local economy. Sustainable alternatives are not considered.

With traditional beliefs that justify persecution of iguanas
and a senator, who is a popular political figure, destroying iguana
habitat to increase agricultural production, the task of securing
a future for C. ricordii on the southern shore of Lago Enriquillo
does not appear very promising — but this task is a challenge
which has to be met.

Gravid female Cyclura ricordii in search of a nesting site near Pedernales.

Excavated Cyclura ricordii den on the southern shore of Lago Enriquillo. Note also the new den of a smaller animal in front of the dog.

“Pet” Cyclura ricordii in the town of Baitoa on the southern shore of
Lago Enriquillo.



The challenge of conserving Ricord’s Iguanas, Rhinoceros
Iguanas, and other endangered species and habitats is complex
and inevitably of long duration. We cannot save the iguanas by
focusing solely on them as individual species. The southwestern
Dominican Republic is one of the most important biodiversity
sites not only of Hispaniola, but also of the entire insular
Caribbean. For this reason, the first biosphere reserve of
Hispaniola was established there. Jaragua Bahoruco Enriquillo
Biosphere Reserve extends from Beata and Alto Velo Islands
across the flat limestone plateau of the Barahona Peninsula, over
the Sierra de Bahoruco, and into the lowlands of the Neyba
Valley, the location of Lago Enriquillo.

Having a biosphere reserve established in the region has
been the result of hard work by many individuals over the past
25 years. Many Dominicans and foreigners have contributed to
the knowledge of the region’s biodiversity. Many species new to
science have been discovered, and more new species continue to
appear. One of the most important, primarily for the resultant
international attention garnered, was the discovery of the Jaragua
Dwarf Gecko (Sphaerodactylus ariasae), the smallest known tetra-
pod in the world. This diminutive lizard was discovered in
Jaragua National Park and named after Yvonne Arias, in recog-
nition of her work for biodiversity and conservation.

The National Parks Department was legally created in
1974 (now included, since 2000, in the Ministry of
Environment and Natural Resources). In 1983, the protected
areas system was expanded beyond the five parks included in
1974 (one of which was Jaragua National Park). A management

230 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 RUPP, INCHÁUSTEGUI, AND ARIAS

I G U A N A S  A N D  E D U C A T I O N

John Foster

Indianapolis Zoo

Ricord’s Iguanas (Cyclura ricordii) are mysterious creatures found only in the Dominican Republic. The majority of
Dominicans who have an awareness or understanding of the creature are park rangers and those individuals who hunt

iguanas for food. An additional handful of Dominicans are working to expand our understanding of these creatures, both
in terms of field conservation and captive husbandry. Although the body of knowledge regarding Ricord’s Iguanas con-
tinues to expand, most Dominican citizens are unaware of the species’ existence — and this has the potential to be prob-
lematic. Gaining support to protect habitat for an endangered species that no one has ever heard of and certainly not seen
is, at best, very difficult.

To begin to address the unknown lizard phenomenon, a partnership has been established between Grupo Jaragua, a
major NGO conservation group in the Dominican Republic, ZooDom, the National Zoological Park, and the Indianapolis
Zoo. This partnership was formed in order to develop curricular materials and a resource kit that could be used by ele-
mentary school teachers in the Dominican Republic. The partners met in 2004 in order to establish goals for the curric-
ula and identify educators’ needs.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife and AZA Conservation Endowment Fund grants funded the development of curricular mate-
rials. These grants not only helped underwrite curricular development and teacher resource kits but expenses associated
with implementing teachers workshops. The curricula will allow teachers to take their students on an exploration of Ricord’s
Iguana natural history and conservation threats through games, simulations, and other activities while simultaneously
strengthening math and language arts skills.

Teacher training workshops will be held in two geographic regions. ZooDom staff will lead workshops for teachers in
and around Santo Domingo. Grupo Jaragua staff will conduct similar activities for teachers whose students live “sympatri-
cally” with Ricord’s Iguanas in the southwestern Dominican Republic. When all the workshops are conducted, 400 teach-
ers will have been trained to use the materials. The partners hope that as we expand our knowledge and ability to conserve
Ricord’s Iguanas, we will have helped build a community that values these animals and supports activities to conserve them.

The Jaragua Dwarf Gecko (Sphaerodactylus ariasae) is the smallest
known tetrapod in the world.

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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 231CONSERVATION OF CYCLURA RICORDII

plan was published in 1986. Immediately thereafter, a group of
concerned citizens, mostly biologists, working in different gov-
ernmental agencies and universities, explored options for pro-
viding permanent support of Jaragua and other parks and bio-
diversity in general. After a year of discussions and reflections,
the Grupo Jaragua, a Dominican Biodiversity Conservation
NGO, was established. GJ is now one of the leading organiza-
tions to have contributed significantly to the preservation of the
nation’s natural resources.

Sixto J. Incháustegui served as its first president. Sixto is a
Dominican biologist, who was committed to conservation even
before he started college. He had the opportunity, for instance, to
participate in the release of Green Turtle hatchlings sent to the
Dominican Republic Marine Biology Institute from Dr. Archie
Carr’s program in 1968. The same year, he made his first trip to
the southwest, where he visited Isla Cabritos in Lago Enriquillo

with Michael Carey. That visit was coordinated by Albert Schwartz,
arguably the “dean” of West Indian herpetology, and recounted by
Sixto in a recently published essay (see references).

Yvonne Arias is another founding member of the organiza-
tion who has been actively working in biodiversity research, con-
servation, and education since the 1970s. She succeeded Sixto
as president of GJ. She feels as comfortable discussing biodiver-
sity problems with the president of the country, ministers, con-
gressmen, and mayors of local governments as with fishermen,
farmers, and the women and children of local communities. She
has created the very popular Jaragua Environmental Educational
Summer Camps for children from local communities in the
region. The eighth camp took place this past summer.

In 2001, Ernst Rupp joined GJ. Ernst is a strange mixture,
as are many who are devoted to conservation. After years of
being in business administration, he studied agrobiology in his
native Germany. After visiting the Dominican Republic for the
first time in 1984, he has served in various positions, all directly
related to local development and conservation, throughout the
country for 13 years.

Seventeen years of hard struggle have passed since Grupo
Jaragua was established. Gaining the confidence of local citizens
has been one of the most important issues, showing them that
we are not interested in their lands for short-term personal gain,
but are instead interested in understanding and learning from one
another, developing programs together for sustainable livelihoods,
including those initiatives directly related to iguana conservation.

GJ is presently developing an agroforestry program that has
integrated local people from the beginning. It is intended to pro-
mote the use of local plant species with economic value. The
region, in most cases, is extremely dry with little soil and almost
no freshwater. Developing such a program is a real challenge. If
successful, it will provide sustainable livelihoods for local people,

Sixto Incháustegui during a visit to a Cape Town, South Africa biodi-
versity hotspot during the Fifth IUCN World Parks Congress in 2003.

Two-year-old Cyclura ricordii in the Fondo de la Malagueta, about 5 km northeast of Pedernales.

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protect local plant species, and offer habitats for iguanas, birds,
and other endangered and endemic plants and animals.

We have learned much through the many programs and
projects that we have undertaken over the years, but if we had
to highlight one of the most important factors involved in our
success, unquestionably it would be local support. Almost from
the beginning, GJ has received strong local support. Pericles
Mercedes, a well-known primary school director from Oviedo,
offered key support. Olga Vidal and Esteban Garrido, residents

of Oviedo, are members of the GJ board of directors. Esteban,
in fact, has become one of the best field ornithologists in the
country. After several years of work in the southwest, something
happened that was quite unexpected to most of us. Youngsters
decided to form a volunteer conservation group, Voluntarios
Comunitarios de Jaragua, to support GJ’s work. This was,
indeed, powerful and welcome feedback to our work.

A few years later, another even more relevant event is hap-
pening. From those local community children and youngsters

232 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 RUPP, INCHÁUSTEGUI, AND ARIAS

Parque Zoológico Nacional (ZooDom) is the national
zoo of the Dominican Republic. Situated near down-

town Santo Domingo, the zoo occupies over 250 acres of
wooded hills. ZooDom opened in 1975, and has large,
wonderful, naturalistic habitats for the many species that
live there. They have had very successful breeding programs
with a number of species, including both Rhinoceros
Iguanas (Cyclura cornuta) and Ricord’s Iguanas (C. ricordii).
In the late 1990s, a new Ricord’s Iguana exhibit was com-
pleted and filled with native plants collected from Isla
Cabritos. Under the watchful eyes of General Curator
Angelica Espinal, a pair was placed in the exhibit, and as
fortune would have it, the first hatchlings emerged during
the 2002 ISG meeting in the Dominican Republic.
Needless to say, we were all very excited to see these beau-
tiful, critically endangered lizards. Those four babies (three
males and one female) are thriving today as juveniles. Since
then, the pair produced ten more babies in 2004, all of
which were examined and had PIT-tags placed last spring
— and all appeared to be healthy and strong.

One of the objectives of the revised Ricord’s Iguana
SRP is for ZooDom to maintain this breeding pair, learn-

ing as much as we can about breeding behavior, incubation,
hatchling development, and any other relevant subject.
Another enclosure with a second pair for increased genetic
diversity is on the horizon. Congratulations to ZooDom
on their successful breeding program.

ZooDom General Curator Angelica Espinal (standing), Head
Keeper "Nacho" Nacisso, and the author conducting a physical
examination of Ricord's Iguana hatchlings at ZooDom.

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Each hatchling Ricord’s Iguana was carefully examined, weighed,
and measured.

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A PIT-tag, donated by the Indianapolis Zoo, was inserted in each
hatchling.

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Iguana Breeding Program at ZooDom
Jan Ramer

Indianapolis Zoo



IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2005 233CONSERVATION OF CYCLURA RICORDII

who had been participating in summer camps, volunteer work,
and nature guide courses during recent years, some decided to
go to college and study biology. Hector Andujar is leading the
group. Young, strong, and committed, he is a native of Los Tres
Charcos, a community of about 100 houses within the
Biosphere Reserve. He currently is in his third year of college.
Pablo Feliz, native of El Cajuil, a community of nearly 125
houses near the Laguna de Oviedo, is the son of an entrepre-
neurial local woman, Chucha, the only fisherwoman in town.
Pablo is very different in personality than Hector. He is quiet
and relaxed, but equally committed. He is now in his second
college year. The list could go on. At present, six young people
native to local villages are studying or about to start school in
Santo Domingo.

These events have exceeded all of our expectations. I doubt
that any of us, although we love our careers in field biology and
conservation, ever told any of these young people to become biol-
ogists. However, today, they represent the long-term sustainabil-
ity of GJ as an organization. They represent the sustainability of
iguana conservation and the sustainability of Jaragua Bahoruco
Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve. They are the new generation of
Dominican conservationists. If Ricord’s Iguana conservation faces
hard times, the unexpected and spontaneous recruitment of
young local people into biology and conservation offers the
needed means and hope for supporting current and future con-
servation efforts in the southwestern Dominican Republic.

Acknowledgments
We thank IIF, AECI/Araucaria/ONAPLAN, and Ford Motor
Foundation for their financial support. We also express special
gratitude to the Ministry of Environment and Natural
Resources, the Municipality of Pedernales, and the community
for their collaboration in the project.

References
Arias, Y., S.J. Incháustegui, and E. Rupp. 2004. Cyclura ricordii on the

Barahona Peninsula: A Preliminary Report. Iguana 11:9–14.

Incháustegui, S.J. 2003. Isla Cabritos: Paradise Lost?, pp. 191–206. In: R.W.
Henderson and R. Powell (eds.), Islands and the Sea: Essays on
Herpetological Exploration in the West Indies. Society for the Study of
Amphibians and Reptiles Contributions to Herpetology, volume 20.
Ithaca, New York.

Ottenwalder, J.A. 1999. Ricord’s iguana, Cyclura ricordi, pp. 51–55. In: A.
Alberts (comp. & ed), West Indian Iguanas: Status Survey and
Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC West Indian Iguana Specialist
Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Ramer, J. 2004. A Survey of Ricord’s Iguanas (Cyclura ricordii) and Rhinoceros
Iguanas (Cyclura cornuta) in Isla Cabritos National Park, Dominican
Republic 2003: A Preliminary Report. Iguana 11:89–95.

Yvonne Arias and Hector Andujar during the last summer camp.

Pirín (Jairo Isaa Matos Arache) working in the nursery for native and
endemic plants.




