marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

Um... how did a place in Uganda end up with Galapagos species? I thought Ecuador banned any exports of Galapagos-native species outside of the country? Were they illegally imported?

@Dhole dude Im right there with you, this makes literally zero sense

Think their iguanas were smuggled, and iirc some were given to iZoo in Japan? I'm not completely sure so if someone more knowledgeable could correct me, thanks.

@DelacoursLangur @the racoon has spoken You are correct, the iguanas at the center were illegally exported.

See, for example, my comment here: Are These in Captivity?

@Chlidonias Thanks for linking that. Reading over those posts, I'm seeing there is no original export permit from Ecuador, only permits after they were smuggled out? The iguanas probably either being deliberately mislabeled or hidden away through their first stop. And very likely some bribes, given only Ecuador flies in and out of the Galapagos.
Is any information available on the origins of the iguanas? Seems like that's pretty much unknown.

@Great Argus they just need to be smuggled out in luggage (via Ecuador) to somewhere like Uganda, and then from there they can be exported "legally" as "captive-bred".

For example, google Manfred Bachmann.

Do you have any photos of their exhibit space? I wonder what that would have looked like?