(CMR) It appears that someone vandalized the iguana sculpture that is at the entrance of the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park over the weekend. Reports are that on Sunday evening the manager was advised around 7:45 pm that the blue iguana sculpture was damaged with the entire head having been disfigured.
The 600-pound sculpture was created and donated to the park by David and Sher Quasius from Wisconsin in February 2017. They have completed many sculptures which are on display at his Davinoff’s Concrete Sculpture Garden in North Side which started in 2010. The concrete and rebar sculpture was placed at the entranceway as a fun way to welcome visitors to the park.
The brother and sister duo came up with the idea after David, a concrete sculptor, visited the island back in 2016. He shared that he had been driving by the park for years – he felt the park needed an entrance sculpture. He then made the suggestion to his sister and it was molded after a blue iguana nicknamed Blue Blue or more formerly known as Zarco. Zarco was important for the restoration and breeding program and was noted as a prolific breeder.
The Botanic Park, which opened in 1994, is home to the Blue Iguana Restoration Program. The Blues, brought back from the brink of extinction, are raised and housed on the grounds of the park, and are a major attraction.
Anyone with information on who might be responsible for this property damage is asked to contact the police immediately.
CMR was at the park on Saturday morning and took some photos of the beautiful sculpture upon exiting the park and were saddened to hear that some 24 hours later it was damaged.
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