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Posted by desiree on September 25, 2002 at 12:38:17:
9/25/2
Lost and in love
[SEE LINK FOR PHOTO]
THE giant iguana found in the street
EDDIE the tropical iguana nearly died for love - on the streets of Salford.
The 5ft-long lizard startled motorists when he was spotted on Blackfriars Street, where he had just been abandoned in a maze of busy lunchtime traffic.
Dumped by his fed-up owner because he'd become dangerously bad tempered due to his desperation to find a partner, lovelorn Eddie was rescued and taken to the Animals in Distress pet sanctuary at Pennisfield Farm in Silver Street, Irlam, for some much-needed tender loving care.
Sanctuary worker Wendy White, who was called out to collect Eddie before disaster could strike, said: "He was in a bit of a state when we got to him.
"He was very thin, with a few cuts and abrasions on his nose, and was moving very slowly because he was so weak.
"He was also violently flashing his tail, which is usually a sign of aggression when they haven't a partner.
"Our theory is that he was dumped because he had grown too big and aggressive to handle.
"We had quite a struggle trying to tend to his wounds, because at first, he wouldn't let us get anywhere near him."
Eddie, an adult iguana who is approximately four years old, was nursed back to health after receiving a regular diet of fresh fruit and vegetables at the sanctuary, where he will spend the rest of his days.
Aggressive
Wendy, who has another male iguana at the sanctuary called Iggy, added: "I really wish people would think before getting them as pets, because they do take some looking after.
"People should remember that iguanas don't stay tiny creatures for very long and will eventually take up a lot of room.
"Iguanas are not for everyone and people should really get hold of as much information about them as they can before deciding on one as a pet."
Wendy said that green iguanas will need a portion of a room, or even an entire room, when they become full-size.
And adult male green iguanas will most likely become aggressive for three months of the year during the breeding season.
Adult females are also likely to produce eggs - even without a male around - and without proper care they can die.
The creatures also require a highly-specialised and varied all-vegetable diet.
And a well-fed example can often reach from 5 to 6ft in length.
