Photo/Illutration Cuban rock iguanas (Toshiyuki Takeya)

Editor's note: This is part of a series of videos offering an up-close perspective on the animal kingdom. A special 360-degree video camera system was set up in zoos and other facilities to show how the animals view their world as they interact.

Also visit our special 360-DEGREE LIVES page (http://t.asahi.com/360lives), where you can watch all the previous videos.

* * *

On a warm and sunny day in mid-March, everything seemed calm and peaceful in Kawazu, Shizuoka Prefecture.

But things were different at iZoo, a facility that specializes in reptiles.

A pack of about 10 large Cuban rock iguanas came rushing at a bowl of food as soon as it was placed on the ground. The 360-degree camera planted in the dish captured the scary-looking lizards chomping on the treat, conjuring up images from a dinosaur movie.

iZoo has about 2,000 reptiles and amphibians of about 400 species on display.

The spacious 15-meter wide exhibition area for the Cuban rock iguana catches the eyes of visitors as soon as they enter the facility. The iguanas are fond of relaxing in the sun and intimidate each other by bobbing their heads up and down.

When I was escorted inside the exhibition area by Yu Mori, head of the reptile department, to prepare the camera, the curious Cuban rock iguanas came closer. They wouldn’t budge even though the camera was brought close to them.

“The iguanas may look scary, but they are friendly and herbivorous, eating fruits and vegetables,” Mori said.

The Cuban rock iguana can grow up to about 1.5 meters. Originally from Cuba, it lives in rocky areas, forests and elsewhere.

Because the population is in sharp decline due to habitat destruction caused by development projects and other factors, the iguana is listed as an endangered species. The facility started keeping and exhibiting the lizards in 2014 as part of an international joint program to protect the species, along with a zoo in Europe.

Mori said that iZoo is the only place in Japan where visitors can see the Cuban rock iguana. In late August last year, 27 hatchlings emerged after much anticipation. They are all in good health, he added.