Easy being green ... ask an iguana
COOBERRIE Park's iguanas have all the other lizards green with envy.
The bright green reptiles were moved from Melbourne Zoo to the park last year and are now living it up in their new custom-built enclosure.
Their habitat was officially opened to the public on Saturday, marking the completion of stage one of the park's South America area.
Animal keeper Kieron Smedley said the park had been busy working with government departments and other animal institutions across Australia over the past couple of years to make this new South American animal precinct a reality.
"It will bring animals from all around the world to the local area so that people don't have to travel to see them," he said.
"We're currently the only place in Central Queensland where you can see South American reptiles."
And that's only the beginning. Kieron said approvals had been made for the Yeppoon wildlife park to house boa constrictors, a very large South American snake.
He said they would be arriving sometime in the next month.
Construction is also under way for a new monkey exhibit, which will display marmoset monkeys, one of the smallest primate species in the world.
"They are a very small species," Kieron said. "They weigh 300g fully grown - that's about the size of a coke can."
Kieron said the park would be receiving up to five female monkeys.
"They've all been lined up ready to move here," he said.
"We should have them by June."
