1,January,1998
This is an article written by Marie Eguro who is an iguana lover. She is an actress living in LA with her lovely iguana Sammy. But by her work, she had to work here in Japan for this year. Since she loves her Sammy so much, she had no idea living here without Sammy. Here is the true story.
The Iguana Visa
In the fall of 1997, I spent two months here in Tokyo to rehearse for a theater play. For me it was an exciting opportunity to work on my acting, but it was the most difficult thing to be away from my beautiful pet iguana, Sammy, for I had to leave her with her babysitter in LA. I had raised Sam since she a little baby, and this was the longest time we would be apart since the day she was born.
And as I was planning on doing more work here in Tokyo, I felt the best solution for us to not be apart was to bring her here to Tokyo with me for a while. Now came the big problem - how to bring a large iguana from LA to Tokyo legally? I could not hide her, my Sammy is well over a meter long...
We needed to get an iguana visa!
I had no idea even where to start. So I asked all kinds of people questions; vets, iguana chat groups on the internet, iguana breeders (of which there are many in southern California), reptile pet shops, US Fish and Wildlife headquarters in Washington, and of course, Akira and Takako at YIL.
Some people told me that it was impossible, and most people were shocked that I would even think of such a thing. One pet store even said, "Why don't you just sell her and get another one in Japan?" I couldn't believe that horrible attitude!
Despite these negative answers, with the help of YIL, we found some positive ones... and the more we researched, the more confident I felt that it was in fact VERY possible to bring Sammy to Tokyo with me.
First, I had to apply for an export permit so that Sammy could leave the United States. I had to prove where I adopted Sammy from, and show that she would be transported safely and humanely.
I had some trouble proving that Sammy was adopted at a reptile specialty store
in southern Los Angeles, run by a family that had been in business for years,
breeding and importing iguanas and a host of other reptiles. It was more than
three years ago and while the store was still in business, they did not keep
copies of transactions that old. I called a dozen other pet stores and
reptile stores and pretended that I got Sammy from them, but no one could help me.
So I searched my house in LA for three days straight, all day long. Finally,
after going through box after box of old papers, I found the original receipt
from the day I adopted Sammy. It was marked August 9th, 1994. Sammy was then
a six week old baby.
Although they told me it would take 30-60 days, it only took about two weeks
to get Sam's export permit out of the US. I was already in Japan by this time,
rehearsing for my next play, but I called Washington almost everyday to check
on the status of her application. After two weeks, they all knew me by
my first name, and must have found me very annoying!
During this time I prepared for Sammy's flight. It is against US law to allow an exotic animal on a plane that carries humans, so Sammy would have to fly as air cargo. This thought itself made me very nervous, but after the suggestions from vets and breeders that frequently shipped iguanas, I heard that Delta was consistently humane and reliable with their animals. And there was a flight on Delta for cargo that went from LA straight to Narita.
So next I had to prepare a flight box for Sam that would protect her and keep her warm. I purchased heat packs that would last for 50 hours, and followed the other instructions according to the iguana breeders I talked to. Her flight would only be 10 hours and her total trip about 20 hours, but in case something happened I wanted to be safe... I tested her box a few times, with and without the heat packs, to ensure the temps on the inside of the box stayed within a healthy range. I also did a turbulence test on the box; since Sam would be without a seatbelt, I wanted to make sure she would not be injured if the plane went through rough winds.
Finally, I needed to get an import permit to legally bring Sammy into Japan.
This is where YIL saved us! I cannot understand difficult Kanji and documents,
and Akira and Takako took care of everything on the Japan side (MITI)
even though it was around the busy time of Christmas and New Years!
Although many offices were closed at this time and they ran into lots of problems,
YIL got Sammy her import permit into Japan in only FOUR DAYS!!!!!
Now came time for the actual flight. Since I was already here in Tokyo, I flew back to LA for only one day, just to pick up Sammy and bring her back here to Tokyo with me. In that one day, Sam had to have a full physical examination done by her doctor to prove she was fit to fly overseas. I was so tired by this time from so much traveling, I thought I was going to collapse right there at the doctor's office with Sam in my arms! But we had to leave back for Tokyo the next day...
Left:Arrival at Narita.
Center:Getting AWB(Air Way Bill) with Mr.Imai.
Right:Front of customs house. (They didn't allow us to take picture inside).
January 1st, 1998... with the wonderful help of Akira and Takako, and friends, Sammy and I arrived safely in Tokyo! And what an ordeal it was to pick her up! Akira from YIL and his friend Mr.Imai and I had to go to three different places to fill out paperwork before we could pick Sammy up! Mr.Imai had some experience in importing geckos, so he was a big help. I thought I would burst with happiness the moment I opened Sammy's box...
Left:Recieved Sammy box after long flight and many paper works. (with Akira Yamanouchi).
Right:Please be safe Sammy. Tag on box says "LIVE HARMLESS LARGE LIZARD"
Out peeked her cute face, and she greeted me with a lick. She was nice and warm
in her heated box, which stayed well within the temperatures I expected.
We both got a ride back to my apartment in Tokyo compliments of YIL!
After we arrived, Sam had a bath and ate a large meal.
I honestly do not think she suffered any stress whatsoever!
So now we have started our happy life together in Tokyo. For the first few days
I would wake up in the middle of the night and check to make sure Sam was
really there... I was afraid it was all just a dream... Sam couldn't possibly
be REALLY with me here in Japan....
But each time, I found her sleeping soundly on her heat pad with both arms
thrown back along her body...
In America, this last year showed the iguana as the most often "thrown away" pet, and every time I go to a reptile specialty store in LA there are several unwanted adult iguanas. I made a promise to myself and to Sammy when I adopted her that I would take the very best care of her until the day she dies. Sam and I are very grateful to YIL... they could understand my feelings... why I could not leave my Sammy with a babysitter for so long, and why I could never, ever give her away.
Who would ever have guessed that this lizard could become such a huge part of my life and completely steal my heart? It will soon be four years since that day Sam and I first met at the reptile store, and I am still intrigued by Sam's behavior and find her to be fascinating. What a wonderfully complex being the iguana is. One day last year when Sam and I were sunbathing together at the beach in Los Angeles, a lady came up to us and remarked at what a wonderful "work of art" she thought Sam was...
Well, this lady spoke the truth. :)
Postscript:Akira Yamanouchi
She is now starting a happy life with Sammy in Tokyo.
I think people have different way of thinking to their animals but we will keep the stance as a companion. Academically, they may be just a lizard shaped reptiles but for us, they are a member of our family. It is natural for us to move WITH our family wherever you move on this earth. We have no idea of giving this creature away because they got too big or because we have to move to some place else.