CPW Ranger Rescues Iguana from Colorado Campground

Colorado Parks & Wildlife are used to dealing with certain animals and species that they tend to see on a pretty regular basis. From elk and eagles to moose and mink, CPW helps them all, but from time to time, they do come across creatures that don't quite belong in the Colorado wilderness.

Case in point: a situation back in July, in which a ranger at Eleven Mile State Park in Lake George came to the rescue of an abandoned iguana that had taken up residence at a campground.

A camper first alerted rangers about the iguana after spotting it two days in a row - one time warming itself up on the edge of his boat. The camper was able to pick it up, and noticed that it's body temperature was extremely cold.

Ranger Mount stepped in to help the iguana, and assumed that someone would report it as lost. For the time being, she kept it in her office, where staff helped create a make-shift home with a dog crate and heat lamp. Staff brought the creature fruits and veggies, and even named the iguana Miles.

After nearly a week, no one had claimed Miles, and unfortunately, rangers are not allowed to keep animals that they find at campgrounds, so he had to be relocated. The Colorado Reptile Humane Society in Longmont agreed to take Miles in.

While the story of how Miles ended up at Eleven Mile is still unclear, ranger Mount has a few theories. One possibility is that he was a stowaway on a boat or camper, which can sometimes happen with other animals. Another theory is that Miles escaped from a visitor who chose not to report it, figuring that he wouldn't survive. The ranger mostly believes, though, that Miles was brought to the park and dumped. According to CPW, this happens quite a bit in Colorado, as well as throughout the country, and is extremely inhumane.

The Colorado Reptile Humane Society has continued to care for Miles, and reported back to rangers that he has gained weight and is still very sweet. They have a small concern about his vision, but say that he will eventually be adoptable.

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