Prince Charles plucks up the courage to stroke one of the Cayman Islands’ famous blue iguanas while on Caribbean tour

PRINCE Charles poses with an iggy prop yesterday — as he plucks up courage to stroke a rare blue iguana.

The royal, 70, met 15-year-old Peter at a reserve on the Caribbean’s Cayman Islands.

He petted him after journalists assured him it was safe. In fact, they bite when angry.

The 15-year-old reptile looked a little unsettled by the cameras and press attention and Charles questioned the press again, saying "Is he OK? Is he dangerous?"; and got a chorus of "no" from everyone.

When a keeper explained that when riled the reptile packs a bite, Charles smiled and stroked Peter.

Blue iguanas, found nowhere else on Earth, fell to fewer than 25 in 2001 but now number hundreds after a breeding drive.

Charles also spoke about the "catastrophic global warming, acidification and pollution of our oceans" being "nothing short of a planetary crisis".

The encounter happened at the National Trust for the Cayman Islands' Blue Iguana Recovery Centre at the end of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall's 12-day tour of the Caribbean.

Charles and Camilla bid farewell to the Cayman Islands at Pedro St James, an 18th century Caribbean great house and the oldest building on the British Overseas Territory.

Charles also opened a kids’ botanic park pavilion during their trip.