BLACKPOOL soldier Peter French is answering the call of the wild to save threatened iguanas in the Belize rain forest.

Peter, aged 27, is a sapper in the 39 regiment of the Royal Engineers and is to help build a compound at a zoo in Belize for the iguanas to breed in.

Sappers have a reputation of being able to build anything but their present tarzan task is a challenge none of them expected.

Peter said: "It seems simple - clear a circular perimeter six feet wide and then put up a fence to keep the iguanas in.

"The trouble is the temperature reaches 40 degrees and doing hard labour really wears you out.

"We have to drink about eight litres of water every day to stop us dehydrating."

The hard grafting would still seem like a tropical paradise to most but Peter stresses: "In reality it is like so many other building sites with the added difficulty of working in sweat box temperatures.

"It is very, very hot work, but at least we have enough coconut milk to quench our thirst."

The Central American green iguana is also known as the jungle chicken because it is so popular to eat.

Peter said: "They can grow up to four feet long and live to a good age. However, their survival rate when they are young is horrendous, everything from birds to the local population think they taste like chicken."

Peter was educated at Warbreck High School, before joining the Army in 1986.

His parents Zandra and Peter French are very proud of their son's achievements but are looking forward to him returning home soon.

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