By Adam Smith from MetroUK

A huge cull is taking place today that could see more than 1.6million iguanas being killed in the Cayman Islands.

More than 340 residents of the Caribbean islands have registered to take part in the cull after being offered £4.75 per reptile.

They are taking part in a bid to protect the native Grand Blue iguana which is being overrun by the more nimble green version which is breeding at a catastrophic rate.

A landfill site has been set up specifically for the cull and the government has set aside £8.6million to ensure the work is carried out by the end of next year.

Fred Burton, the manager of the terrestrial resources unit, told the Cayman Compass individuals or private companies can register but must commit to cull a minimum of 5,000 iguanas each year.

He said: ‘Once we start to get the population down, the iguanas are going to be harder to find. The cull target will be smaller (in 2020) but the effort to reach it will be higher.

‘It might need a similar level of effort and expenditure.

‘It is very important that we reach the specific targets we are after. If we don’t kill a certain number of iguanas over the coming months, the project won’t be successful.’

Previously the British Overseas territory has offered raffle tickets in exchange for people showing photographic evidence of iguanas being killed.

However, there now could be 60 full time iguana killers working on the islands.

There are strict rules laid down for iguana killers including when and where they can kill the reptiles. The crisis was created by humans, who brought green iguanas to the islands as pets and then the government passed a law banning the killing of the reptile. This led to a population explosion which now has to be culled.

IMAGE:

George Town, Cayman Islands, has been overrun by green iguanas (Picture: Getty)

A Grand Blue iguana which is being overrun by green iguana on the Cayman islands (Picture: Getty)

The green iguana is enemy number one in the Cayman Islands

For more on this story go toe: https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/29/a-massive-cull-of-1600000-iguanas-begins-in-the-cayman-islands-today-8085505/?ito=cbshare