Wild caught tribulations

Wild caughts, some of us get to see these animals with sunken eyes, malnourished, dehydrated, bruised and battered. We often pass them up and then for me..I constantly think could i have saved that one. I try to keep the frame of mind if i dont buy it, it wont sell and if enough of these pass through that vendors hands that dont sell to die. Just maybe they will not buy them anymore. As the years have passed. I now know my thoughts were just part of a fairy tale. They will be brought into the country no matter what and someone will buy them.

Here is what i am currently working with. They are all fighting with me even though some will see the pearly gates soon enough. Trying what i can to save some of these animals that havent been given a chance in captivity. This often takes a bunch of time and money. Many times the resale is a loss or a break even situation but i keep telling myself "This animal now has a chance".

Money dont grow on trees around here Those cuts on my fingers and DIRT under my nails are signs of a real working man.
Cham#1

Cham#2

Cham#3

Cham#4

Cham#5

Cham#6

I commend your way of thinking. Good luck with your new kiddies may they make a smooth acclimation.


The Starfish Story
Original Story by: Loren Eisley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, What are you doing?
The youth replied, Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die.
Son,the man said, don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can't make a difference!
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said
I made a difference for that one.

No pictures?

Hmmm..You dont see any?

I see all six..

No nothing

AH HA! How about now>?

Much better but sad good luck with them man and keep me posted.

Oh my gosh. I wish I had the vet and money to talk some of the wild caughts. Those cresteds were calling my name, I want a pair so badly. It's sad to see them in that condition, I hope they all thrive and live for you.

Make me mad to see someone let the animal get in that kind of condition over a flippin dollar.

ataraxia said:

Make me mad to see someone let the animal get in that kind of condition over a flippin dollar.

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I hear yeah man...

ataraxia said:

AH HA! How about now>?

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Man!! I was waiting to see the pictures too...but now I think I was better off NOT seeing them Stupid people to allow anything to get to that condition

Wow...some of those Montiums are in really terrible shape! Good luck bringing them around and keep us updated on their progress! I might be able to offer a home to some Montiums down the road a little if they pull through...

A real shame but true. Unfortunately for every Wc that makes it many others do not In this hobby some call it a necessary evil since we need WCs for genetic diversity.I believe we should all push to improve the standards through which many of these animals are brought in and that pet stores should not be allowed to bring in WC, only specialized importers who actually know how to take care of them.
On a side note, did you get them directly from an importer or from pet stores?

leo said:

A real shame but true. Unfortunately for every Wc that makes it many others do not In this hobby some call it a necessary evil since we need WCs for genetic diversity.I believe we should all push to improve the standards through which many of these animals are brought in and that pet stores should not be allowed to bring in WC, only specialized importers who actually know how to take care of them.
On a side note, did you get them directly from an importer or from pet stores?

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Well said. The animals that are brought in as wild caught should be done in minimal amounts (conservative/low quotas) and should only go through seasoned importers that have got experience with chameleon keeping. This problem (WC chameleons in rough shape) is going to be here for this hobby to exist, however we as keepers can demand upgrades by exporters/importers to keep improving on this system. One thing though much of the mass importation of wild caught chameleons that was happening in the early 90's is not happening anymore. Which is and upgrade/improvement.

I agree with the two previous posts. I mean have you seen the ads in KS of the new imports? They look like their on their way out because most pet stores don't specialize on chameleons and just keep bringing them in to meet a sad fate

dinamite said:

I agree with the two previous posts. I mean have you seen the ads in KS of the new imports? They look like their on their way out because most pet stores don't specialize on chameleons and just keep bringing them in to meet a sad fate

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LLL reptiles imports look OK for wild caught. The other vendor selling WC Cameroon species looked absolutely terrible.

if it was a dog the person would be in court for animal cruelty, i would get some critical care help boost them and just make sure they are drinking plenty,cham number 3 just looks terible its a joke that they are sold like that

I think a seasoned chameleon keeper who is good at reviving and caring for chams in bad shape buying and reviving whatever they can will not have a noticeable impact on importing practices. It is the huge quantities sold to the unsuspecting and uninformed masses who pick one up on a whim and do not demand accountability because they just assume chams are hard to keep and it was their fault it died.

I saw wc senegals for sale at 10 dollars each. Some store will buy 10 and only need to sell 2 at 50 to recoup their investment and 4 to make a 100% margin. This means a 60% die off is still acceptable for the business and any more survivors are just gravy.

This is why I say the pet business needs to be about passion and not profit. If you try to maximize profit you will eventually fail, and cause a lot of needless pain in the process.

everyone is making good points.

This sort of thing will continue without some sort of rules and regulations to be in place. These would also have to be enforced.

These exporters are shit. In no way shape or form does an animal get into this condition in 30 days.

I could honestly do without having these rarer species or even any wild caught chameleon. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE CEASE OF EXPORTATION OF ANY CHAMELEON!

John, thank you for giving these guys a second chance at life. Last year my vet took in some chams like this several times and was able to save some of them. You might find his blog about it interesting. http://www.ivanalfonso.com/2011/09/the-chameleon-rehabilitation-experience/

James, I really liked your little story.