WARREN - A Warren neighborhood had a little excitement this week as a bright green native of the Galapagos Islands was spotted resting on the rooftop at the home of Mark and Jackie Forte.
Mark Forte said he was cutting the grass at his Oak Knoll Avenue S.E. home Monday when his wife brought him some water to drink.
''It was funny how all this happened. As I was taking a drink and tilting the glass back I looked up at the front roof of the house and noticed a long, bright green-colored iguana sitting there in the sun,'' he said.
The Fortes said at first they weren't sure if it was even alive because it did not move. Then as they got closer to the house, they saw it move.
''It really stood out on our brown roof,'' he said.
Mark Forte said he began asking the neighbors if they knew of anyone who may have lost a pet iguana, but no one did.
Soon about 15 people, including several neighborhood children and family friends, arrived and were taking pictures and watching the iguana.
One of the Fortes' neighbors, Chad Cowger, said he would get on the roof of the two-story home and try to get it.
''When he was on the roof, every time he got close to it it jumped off the roof and into the nearby tree. Then when he went by the tree, it jumped back on the roof,'' Mark Forte said.
Mark Forte said the chase and capture lasted about an hour.
When the iguana was on a branch of the tree, Cowger was able to knock it off the branch when it fell to the grass below.
Mark Forte said he had a fishing net, and Cowger was quickly able to capture the iguana, which he said was about 3 feet long.
''It was a nice size iguana and really green,'' he said.
Cowger put the iguana in a large aquarium. Cowger's son, Braylon, had just lost a family pet and promised to take care of the iguana.
Mark and Jackie Forte said they were glad there was a happy ending to the unusual find.
''If I had not taken that break for a drink of water I probably would have not even seen it,'' he said.