Answer Desk: What's Happening with the Westin Iguanas?

The Westin Resort and Villas on St. John continues to struggle with the abundance of iguanas that like to hang out at the hotel, but Source reader Barbara Murray wants to know exactly what they’re doing with them.

Westin manager Mike Ryan said he wants to do the right thing for both the iguanas and the resort guests.

Ryan said they’re trying to keep them out of public spaces. His crews are bagging them up in mesh bags and relocating them to “back of the house” places on the Westin grounds, he said. This means they’re letting them go in areas like the guts that cross the property.

The Westin previously relocated the iguanas to other areas of St. John like Fish Bay, but that didn’t sit well with residents who also struggle to keep them from devouring their gardens.

At the Westin, Ryan said it’s likely that at 4 p.m. on any sunny afternoon, eight to 10 iguanas will take up residence on the Beach Café roof. However, they don’t just stay on the roof, and are likely to head into the restaurant.

While Ryan said some people like their presence, there are others who don’t. “Some are absolutely terrified,” he said.

The problem is compounded by the fact that guests often feed the iguanas inside the restaurants. Ryan said the iguanas are happy to oblige, preferring a “french fry” at the restaurant to foraging for food somewhere else.

“And that’s when they get aggressive,” he said.

The resort also has a problem with feral cats caused in part by guests who put bowls of milk outside their door and leave opened cans of cat food in the bushes. This attracts cats that would otherwise hunt for food away from the resort.

Ryan said the Animal Care Center of St. John comes every Tuesday to trap the cats for a trip to the veterinarian, where their health is checked and they’re spayed or neutered before being relocated to a feeding station.

According to Ryan, just recently, a guest let five cats out of the cages and closed the doors so more couldn’t enter.