Iggy, a giant iguana that has sat perched at the Zoo’s animal hospital for 15 years, is coming down
FORT WORTH, Texas — The New Year is all about self-improvement, and the Fort Worth Zoo’s 2,600-pound iguana wants in on the action.
Iggy, a giant iguana that has sat perched on the Zoo’s animal hospital for 15 years, is coming down to be refurbished, the zoo announced. The iguana is a familiar sight for both visitors to the Zoo and Fort Worthians driving down University Drive.
The iguana is known for donning festive hats during the holidays and special events. He even ate a piece of cheese and donned a “Terrible Towel” for Super Bowl XLV in 2011.
The 40-foot-long iguana was created by Bob “Daddy-O” Wade. Iggy’s first home was over the Lone Star Café in New York City, where Willie Nelson, Kinky Friedman, Albert King and Roy Orbison performed, according to a press release from the Fort Worth Zoo.
When the Café closed, Iggy was purchased by a Virginia couple who put it on their farm, according to the release. In 1997, it was purchased by Wade and Dallas financier Monk White, who installed it on Pier 25 in Tribeca, “where it garnered a whole new generation of fans,” according to the Zoo.
Two years later, it was purchased by Lee Bass, a friend and patron of Wade. His wife, Ramona Bass, is chairman of the Fort Worth Zoo Board of Directors.
In 2007, it was loaned to the Fort Worth Zoo for public display, the release states.
“After years of rain, snow, ice, extreme heat and a little hail damage, it’s time to give Iggy a much-deserved makeover,” Bass, chairman of the Fort Worth Zoo Board of Directors, said in the release. “The Fort Worth community has grown fond of this one-of-a-kind, funky, lime-green giant iguana and we want him around for many more years to come!”
A team of artists and engineers will work to restore Iggy’s frame and add a water-resistant topcoat before he once again takes his rightful place on top of the Zoo’s hospital.
Before his refurbishment begins, Iggy will make a grand tour of Fort Worth, making stops around the city. You can use the hashtag #WhereIsIggy to see where he is and share pictures with him, the Zoo says.