Raleigh-bound reptile: Animal control finds 5-foot-long iguana roaming around

Raleigh Animal Control got an unusual call on Tuesday night.

An officer found a 5-foot-long iguana. It's the second time in 2024 they've come across an iguana.

Lt. Jason Boreno said the missing animal most likely belonged to a traveler who was coming through the area. Officials believed the iguana somehow got out of a vehicle.

"Where we located it, we believe whomever had it was traveling and somehow it was released," Borneo said. "We do not believe that there are just iguanas running around or escaped from a particular business."

It's not known exactly where the animal was spotted.

The iguana was relocated to the NC Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

Raleigh's wild animal ordinance went into effect in 2023 and was largely driven by the days-long disappearance of a zebra cobra in the summer of 2021 in a Raleigh neighborhood.