News
Near-extinct Caribbean reptile makes epic comeback
The population of the Sombrero ground lizard is now estimated at more than 1,600 – a rapid recovery.
Situated approximately 50 km from Antigua, Redonda is a rugged, uninhabited volcanic island with a remarkable history, globally important seabird colonies and unique fauna and flora. In 2016, Fauna & Flora and partners began taking steps to restore Redonda’s extraordinary biodiversity, resulting in astounding changes to the island.
Though Redonda is unquestionably of high conservation value, feral goats and thousands of large, predatory black rats had turned much of its surface into a dusty moonscape and left the surrounding marine habitats damaged. Following a series of feasibility studies and consultations to determine what must be done to save Redonda’s biodiversity, in 2017 Fauna & Flora and our partners eradicated the rats and relocated the feral goats to Antigua. The island started to spring back to life incredibly quickly: in the space of just two years, 15 species of land birds returned to Redonda and numbers of the Redonda Ground Lizard increased eight-fold.
Project objectives
Today, we are working to solidify and build on the success of the original eradication work. Along with implementing biosecurity measures to limit the risk of any reinvasions, we are working on eradicating invasive plants, monitoring the very rapid recovery of native species, exploring the feasibility of reintroducing native species, conducting marine monitoring and surveillance, and establishing a major new protected area that will cover the island, its surrounding seagrass meadows and a largely intact 180 km2 coral bank. The new Redonda Ecosystem Reserve is largely unexplored but believed to contain at least 30 globally threatened and near-threatened species.
A barren Redonda in 2012. © Jenny Daltry / Fauna & Flora
A barren Redonda in 2012.
Key milestones
The number of nesting seabirds on the island has soared since the restoration. © Edward Marshall / Fauna & Flora
2023
Redonda Island granted protected area status.
The Redonda ground lizard, one of the island’s endemic and endangered native species. © Jeremy Holden / Fauna & Flora
2019
Biodiversity monitoring indicates a more than eight-fold increase in the number of Redonda ground lizards and three-fold increase in Redonda tree lizards; a more than eight-fold increase in the abundance of invertebrates sampled; over 20-fold increase in vegetation cover and biomass; and an increase in the number of birds seen on the island from 9 to 23 species.
Our work on Redonda
The programme continues to be a very successful collaboration between Fauna & Flora, local NGO the Environmental Awareness Group and the Government of Antigua & Barbuda through the Department of Environment, the Fisheries Division and other government agencies. Major private and government stakeholders provided valuable insight, feedback and support throughout the restoration work. These partnerships will continue as the management framework is developed for the proposed Redonda Ecosystem Reserve. Local capacity building in island restoration and protected area management continues to be a major part of the programme and is further supported by partner NGOs such as Re:wild.
Shanna Challenger, coordinator of the restoration programme, examines Redonda’s new lush vegetation. © Mike Appleton / Re:wild
Shanna Challenger, coordinator of the restoration programme, examines Redonda’s new lush vegetation.
A restored Redonda in 2020. © Sophia Steele / Fauna & Flora
A restored Redonda in 2020.
Project partners
- Government of Antigua and Barbuda; through the Department of the Environment, the Fisheries Division and other government agencies
- Environmental Awareness Group
- Re:wild
- Antigua and Barbuda National Parks Authority
Key donors to the project
Saving threatened species
Fauna & Flora has played a pivotal role in safeguarding the future of an incredible variety of species in all corners of the globe, from British bats to Mexican cacti, iguanas in the Bahamas and tree snails from Tahiti.
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