If you ever want to take a walk on the wild side, Rodney Irwin, a native of Homestead, is the man you need to find. He can tell you exactly why Tegu lizards are a threat to South Florida.
“There are no how to books on capturing Tegus and keeping them, I'm blazing a trail every day,” says Irwin.
This is a problem that began over a decade ago when, Irwin says, someone dumped hundreds of them around Florida City and Homestead. Now, the Argentinean lizard is out of control and destroying the ecosystem.
“We could be easily talking 60,000 to 80,000 Tegus, and they're not spread out all over Florida, they're spread out over a 10 square mile area right here.”
Coming up on WPTV NewsChannel 5 Friday at 5 p.m., we will follow this Tegu expert into alligator and snake infested terrain to catch this reptile.
Viewers will learn everything you need to know about the Tegu and why if we don’t act fast, the ecosystem of one area could be wiped out.