Eight-year-old Ernie escaped after Heinrichson left a door open a crack for his two cats, then fell asleep.
“He’s been eyeballing the door for a month, and he just jumped down and took off,” he said.
Since Ernie’s fast break, there have been several sightings of a large iguana in people’s front and back yards, Beavercreek police officer Chris Williams said. Officers have looked for the wayward iguana two or three times, he said.
Ernie was found today in the 3400 block of Clearwood Drive after a neighbor spotted it in some bushes, notified police and the homeowner.
“The resident here was able to bring out a dog kennel and we got it to walk into the dog kennel and secured it inside the kennel,” Williams said.
Heinrichson said he had been apprehensive about Ernie’s ability to survive on his own.
“I was worried because there has been a lot of cold nights and when their body temperature gets cold they can’t process food, and of course all of the plants here would look foreign to him,” he said.
At home, Ernie feasts on lots of fruits and vegetables and lettuces, but not spinach because that’s poisonous, he said.
Heinrichson reported his iguana missing, so when Ernie was found, there was no question where he belonged. No citations will be issued because Williams said there are no ordinances in the city for loose iguanas or iguana at large.
“It’s probably one of the most unusual calls I’ve responded to, with a happy ending,” the longtime veteran officer said.
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