Chameleon rescue effort continues tonight in Blanco

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GEORGE NEWS - The rescue of chameleons from the debris from fallen trees currently filling green spaces across George is continuing tonight, 25 May, in George Street, Blanco.

Organiser, Donnatella Pontesilli, is inviting Georgians to join a search between 17:00 and 20:00. Cash prizes are up for grabs: R300 for the most chameleons found and R10 each for the first 20 chameleons found.

Bring your own charged torch, containers to put the chameleons in and a small garden shear.

George Municipality is gradually working its way through the city to remove the debris to the refuse terrain and Pontesilli urged the public to make use of the chance to help save as many chameleons as possible before the removals take place. "I hope all this awareness is encouraging others to search in their hoods," she said.

A group of about 70 volunteers helped in a search in Union Street on Saturday evening, following various other efforts in town by other volunteers during the previous week. The group in Union Street rescued 34 chameleons that were released in the Garden Route Botanical Garden on Sunday morning.

The Botanical Garden in a statement said the Knysna Dwarf Chameleon found in our area is an iconic species with a highly restricted geographic range limited to the narrow coastal strip from George to Tsitsikamma.

They are among the very few chameleon species globally that are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. They give birth to between 10 to 30 babies with each pregnancy.

Checking out rescued chameleons. Photo supplied

The garden recently celebrated the successful release of a group of these chameleons (Bradypodion damaranum) that had been rescued. Although they are listed as a species of ‘Least Concern’ globally because they are plentiful in the mountain forest, they face severe local threats on the urban fringe from habitat fragmentation and intense regional wildfires.

“Because they cannot easily escape displaced environments after extreme storms, the botanical garden serves as a critical conservation sanctuary where these unique, vulnerable creatures can safely return to the indigenous ecosystem and thrive,” said the garden.

Donnatella Pontesilli and Jacques Webber who provided containers and was the receiver of all the rescued chameleons on Saturday night. Photo supplied