And then, a few hours later, found this little fellow clinging to the curtains in my apartment:
Presumably my cat brought it in, and then, for some reason, decided not to dissect it as she usually does with her wildlife specimens (she makes Hannibal Lecter look like Gandhi by comparison). So I took the lucky survivor outside and put it in a tree densely overgrown with creeping jasmine - not perfect, but probably better habitat than my apartment:
Chameleons were common around here when I was a child, but I haven't seen one in many years. Perhaps they are making a comeback.
love that chameleon
ReplyDeleteEverything of beauty seems to be dissapearing from SA, I am an expatriate South-African as well. (I noted that you are South-African on Wetcanvas ) I mean look at the animals being poached all the time. When I was very small we used to see small animals like hedgehogs all the time. Now I never hear of anyone who have seen one in ages.
ReplyDeleteYes, the last time I saw a hedgehog in South Africa I was seven or eight. Not sure how common they are nowadays - perhaps they are just shy and difficult to observe. But I lived in the Netherlands for two years, and there hedgehogs are very commonly seen in gardens.
ReplyDeleteHowever, around here in Gauteng nature is actually making something of a comeback because of the continuing depopulation of countryside. I grew up on a small farm in the Bronkhorstspruit district, and when we lived there, there was very little wildlife. Nowadays when I go visit the place, it is teeming with wild animals. Some of the neighbours have switched from cattle to game, and because the area has become so depopulated, I see far more variety in the wild birds and animals there. By night you hear jackals and nightjars; by day, with a bit of luck, you sometimes see eagles soaring overhead.