TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A photo of a giant green iguana lying on a curbside taking an apparent sunbath has attracted much attention on social media, racking up hundreds of comments.

The photo, taken by a woman surnamed Liu (柳), was posted on Monday (Dec. 14) to a Facebook page for Pingtung County’s Wandan Township with a short text that conveyed her fright at encountering the massive but easygoing beast sunbathing beside a ditch. The post has so far attracted over 300 comments, while in another group, replies reached over 500.

Some comments expressed concern over the invasive species’ adverse impact on local ecology, while others blamed people who abandoned them as pets for the county's reptile problem. One user questioned whether such a large lizard would endanger children; another mused whether it might be a dinosaur.

Some users said the creatures are delicious if cooked properly, adding that there is a video on social media showing how to do it. At least two commenters came to the species’ defense, saying there is no reason to be afraid, as they are vegetarians.

However, the iguanas are invasive to the region and have wreaked havoc on the local agriculture and ecology.

Pingtung Department of Agriculture Director Cheng Yung-yu (鄭永裕) said the county government has put in place a program to reward people who catch green iguanas with agricultural produce. The program has yielded a staggering haul of 7,300 iguanas in the first 11 months of this year, Cheng said, according to CNA. 

With regard to the iguana that has caused quite a stir, the director said that he had asked the Wild Bird Society of Pingtung County to set up traps near the spot the iguana was found to catch it, adding that the iguana was estimated to be about 150 centimeters long.

Green iguanas have been designated an invasive species harmful to Taiwan’s ecology as well as to the safety of humans and livestock by the Council of Agriculture. People who keep them as pets must register with their city or county government; otherwise, they may face a fine of between NT$10,000 (US$333) and NT$50,000.