I have never seen anything like that in my life! wow they just give away goldfish at the carnies around here. I dont think anyone was trying to chastise you and I agree with nicole and merlin. I rescued a Chinese Water Dragon with Metabolic Bone Disease and it wasnt fun and I am sure it lead toward her death no matter what I tried to do. I think that you have the best intentions. I think they just want carnies shut down that pracice this! I am sure some little kid came home from the carnie with an ig and the parents whoever because this is florida will just end up releasing it . The whole thing is a shame...please try to report this and get complaints going

I would have to agree with you.Though its very cruel that they sell or you can win them as a prize,its a shame.I would rather see someone get one who knows how to properly take care of the ig.Then someone who would just get it as a "Hey come and check out my iguana isent it cool"type of person.In my own opinion I think at least one of the poor iguana's was saved,can't save them all no matter how much we want.I think the carnival people should have their ***'s put in a cage the kind that has correctional officer's.Kudo's to your friend that saved at least one of them.

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Chopper

VERY Seriously! You are not looking at the overall picture!
What they are doing is not only illegal, but to offer up a live animal as a "Prize" to someone who had no interest in getting a pet, knows nothing about it, is not equiped to care for it is inhumane. Ok so this one ig ended up with someone that may know what to do with it. That makes it one out of the many HUNDREDS who will go to people who will not care for them, will mistreat them, and allow them to die a horrible painful lingering, disfiguring death!
If they don't simply get tired of it and toss it in the trash or out the back door!
Actually we would rather put a stop to it all together! And "someone who keeps it in a 5 gallon aquarium feeding it crickets" is killing it just as surely, only much slower and more painfully.
By participating in the activity,...they are! If they are making money off of this activity it encourages them to continue.
We are not chastising you for sharing this story, just trying to enlighten you as to the actual situation. And If you were to follow this carnival around you would see the condition of the iguanas going rapidly downhill as they do NOTHING to care for them. These people blow into town, hit the wholesaler and grab a few hundred igs. They toss them crammed into a box and leave them sitting where ever convenient while they do their show. If its too cold or too hot so what! They make enough of of this trade to just go buy some more if they die!
I worked in the wholesale pet trade and saw this business first hand!
Its not pretty. These people care nothing about the health of these animals. They just want your money!
And I can guarantee you that if most of us here were to come across this situation there would be a REAL stink being raised!
Just call the humane society as well as the state wildlife department and give them the name of the carnival and the town they just left. They can find them!

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I'd rather see it put to sleep OVER being put in a 5 gallon aquarium. Actually, I'd like to see the carnival activities stop all together. Contact the SPCA, they will find where the carnival went to. Its not your responsibility to track it. Tell the SPCA what they are doing, show them the photo.

All you can do is try, but wouldn't you rather try and possibly not make a difference, than just letting it keep happening?

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

The iguana I have now, Don Iguan, was a carny iguana. The family who got him had no real idea how to care for him, and really didn't want him - especially as he began to get bigger. When my coworker found out I took care of reptiles, she immediately asked me if I'd take him. He was being fed improperly, kept on a couple of heat rocks with no UVB in a cage that was large, but low to the ground, so he couldn't climb around. He was deceptively docile, probably because he didn't have the right temperatures, humidity or UVB.

Now, he's active, mean and as healthy as he can be, but I do think that there are some things we'll have to deal at some point, and while I hope he lives a long, long time, I can't be positive he'll live out his full lifespan.

He was fortunate, because I think sooner, rather than later, he would have developed Metabolic Bone Disease - with no access to UVB at all, it's almost guaranteed. And these people actually did take as good care of him as they know how. At least they provided him with a large enclosure and food and water every day, which is more than a lot of people do for a lizard they just won at a carnival.

I strongly suggest you take the advice of the others. If the authorities take five or ten iguanas away from this carnival and put them to sleep, it might actually stop the carnival from doing this again, which could save hundreds of iguanas.

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

best point made yet.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

I have to say I agree with all above. The practice of giving away the animals as prizes in inhumane. It is also inhumane to put them to sleep. But try to remember the iguanas falling out of trees all over Florida when the temps got too cold. If I had worked for the ASPCA down there I would have rounded them all up and put them to sleep due to the problems they have caused with the natural environment.

I know this may sound harsh but in a realistic world it is probably the most humane thing you can do to help alleviate this growing problem. Please try to read the posts as educational and not confrontational. This has been an ongoing discussion on the boards for a very long time. And surprise, now that Spring is coming and the carnivals are getting back into action, this discussion has been resurrected once again.

To truly show your care for these animals follow the instructions above and contact local authorities. This is an action you can be proud of taking.

Good luck.

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Tammy

I'm sorry, but if your friend knows so well what she is doing and is doing what is right for the iguana there is no way she would let a carnival iguana into the same room as her other iguana. THAT is irresponsible. She knows these iguanas aren't properly cared for and are probably riddled with disease and parasites. Effectively she may have just made the situation worse.

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Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it.

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

I think you guys misunderstood his meaning here...he meant would you want to see it put to sleep or would you want to see it put in these horrible conditions? No, and no one does. Thats what he meant, i know it...Just clearing the air...
And I agree, and I know Ryan (sorry to speak for you hun, correct me if i'm wrong) agrees with all of you saying that of COURSE the authorities should get involved, and I'm sure that some of these igs should be put down. It just seems that it is hard, sometimes, to post any kind of opinion without Merlin saying he wants to "enlighten" us when really we are enlightened by the fact that I actually layed eyes on these poor things...I don't want to sound rude, I'm just saying.

First off what I meant was would you rather the iguana my friend got be put to sleep or given to someone else. I wasn`t saying that it would be better to be put in a 5 gallon aquariam with crickets than being put down. I was just saying I think its good my friend got that Ig out of the carnival and into the correct environment. She also didnt put them together right away, we have been watching her original Iguana for her for a little while anyways. I agree with everyone saying to contact the wildlife department and get the Iguanas away from the carnival. I just don`t agree with thinking it`s a bad thing that my friend got an Iguana, she knows how to care for it and will. So what if it`s only 1 Ig saved out of hundreds probally at least it`s saved. Don`t think for a second I agree with the carnival at all. That is why I went home to get a camera to get proof of this. You guys can quote specific sentences from me and try to make me look bad all you want but it seems like most of you have the wrong idea about me.

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Giving Thanks