African Green Monkeys, Green Iguanas are on a surge, threatening agriculture & economy

Antigua and Barbuda: The population of African green monkeys and green iguanas are on a surge since recent times on mainland Antigua. This increase in these species is causing significant concern among local farmers and authorities.

The alarming rise in these invasive species was highlighted by Senior Forestry Officer Adriel Thibou who said that it is increasingly impacting the agriculture and ecology of the island.

He said that the estimates suggest that there are now between 100 and 200 African green monkeys on the island, with some reports showing that the numbers could be as high as 1000.

Thibou further outlined that the present species of concern is the African green monkey, which his team suspects has been in Antigua for about 20 years.

He also reported that the team of the Forestry Division recently visited St. Kitts and Nevis to study the primates’ behaviour and explore effective strategic to manage them. These also included the development of monkey traps. The Senior Officer added that if these animals become established on the mainland, then it will be a serious matter for the residents.

In addition to this issue of green monkeys, it is also being reported that the green iguana, which is believed to have arrived from Guadeloupe, is also putting major challenges for the farmers.

According to Thibou, the Forestry Division has been receiving several complains from farmers regarding the green iguana’s impact on their crops.

He noted that this species is especially problematic in the northern areas around Clear Hall and Cades Gardens, where these iguanas have devasted crops such as spinach and lettuce.

While green iguanas have been present in Antigua and Barbuda for sometime now, the surge in its population has led to increased agricultural damage with Thibou saying that farmers have reported losing entire crops to these iguanas.

Meanwhile, the Forestry Division is also executing a monitoring and control program to address these issues. These strategic are aimed at managing the populations of both iguanas and the monkeys but this program is still in its early stages and will take some time to be effective. The officials are saying that they are working to mitigate the impact of these invasive species on the agriculture and environment of Antigua and Barbuda.