PORT CLINTON, Ohio (WJW) — A former five-year resident of a Peninsula restaurant is now “wowing guests and warming hearts” at his new home in an Ohio wildlife park.

The local restaurant chain Winking Lizard Tavern is now rehoming the live iguanas once featured at each of its locations to animal care facilities, according to a Friday news release.

Reggie, a 7-year-old green iguana, lived at the Peninsula eatery for five years, but now has a new job as one of the ambassador animals at African Wildlife Safari Park in Port Clinton. Those creatures “live behind the scenes and make public appearances in educational animal programs,” reads the release.

“Reggie is a total sweetheart, and he really seems to enjoy the company of people,” said park Director Kelsey Keller. “We are grateful to the Winking Lizard team for entrusting him to our park, where he will help our guests learn about animals and how to protect our environment.”

The park plans for Reggie to appear once daily, as part of its usual rotation of educational animals.

Green iguanas are native to Central and South America. Though they aren’t endangered, their populations are threatened by loss of their habitats and human hunters, reads the release. They can now be found in Florida, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, where they compete with native species for food and habitat.