Mr. Worf shows up again after ONE YEAR!

gideonus

New Member
I have an amazing story to share with all you cham lovers. A year and a half ago, I purchased a 3-month old male veiled chameleon. One very warm afternoon, I took "Mr. Worf" into the backyard to sun himself. I placed him on a bush and kept a close eye on him. For some time, no problem, but suddently he decided to take a hike, and before I knew it he had somehow gotten onto the 40 foot palm tree (draped with ivy) and was just plain gone. I looked for days, but no sign of Mr. Worf. I looked everywhere and tried everything, including using a flashlight at night. To no avail. I decided to hold off on buying another cham, and kept the enclosure empty but still filled with plants and the mister and lights running.

Yesterday, a neighbor four doors down the street, who knew about the lost chameleon, called me to say "come on over". I trudged up his stairs and there, clinging to the front screen door was Mr. Worf. He had grown about 2 inches, and altho he looked a bit skinny, he was just fine. Here in San Francisco, we get many very cold and windy nights, and I just couldn't believe that he had survived so well, fed and hydrated himself, and not only that, how in the world had he gone from the palm tree in my yard, over 4 rooftops, up the stairs of a house 4 doors down and ended up on the screen door--a year later? Almost sounds like the story of the cat that shows up 3,000 miles away at the doorstep of the old house.

Anyone had a similar experience? I can now say that Mr. Worf is "captive bred" but "tested in the wild"--a true streetwise chameleon. I guess we're now bonded for life. I'm tempted to write a children's book about "the little cham that could" or something cute like that. Pretty amazing, that's all I can say?
 

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You are beyond lucky that he didn't show up 4 miles away in all that time.
Maybe he stayed close to your house in hopes that you would find him? :)

Congrats, now buy a lottery ticket with the numbers of the house you found him at as you are just too lucky right now to lose.

Harry
 
Amazing story, sure to worth a book or something like that! :D tell me some numbers, i would play them on the lottery here in Hungary too :D

Good luck! (if u dont have enough right now :) )

Ricardo
 
That is Awesome! Congrats!!

Veileds are pretty tough! They are great chams and can take a beating. A thin veiled is how they should be... fat veileds are not healthy....

Good luck with him, and maybe keep a closer eye on him when outside? ;) :D
 
I am so happy for you and Worf! I lost one of my chams about 3 years ago - and I still look up when I am walking through my yard hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
 
That is one for the cham stories book. I do think that could be the basis for a great kids book, go for it. Congrats & feed the poor boy a bit at least.
 
Wow! Great news! That is just unbelievable!. There was someone on here about a month ago that found their chameleon after being gone for 3 months in Las Vegas and he found him right in his own front yard! Guess, it goes to show that their wild, survival animal instincts kick in and it's do or die! I am so glad that you are reunited! Post some more pics of him. P.S. I am glad that you kept the cage, although he is probably not going to be too happy after free ranging for a year and a half!
 
What an amazing story! And still there a people saying that captive bred chameleons are like dogs and don't know as much as the ones that come from the wild. Humans under estimate the animal instincts!
 
Wow! Thats great! I'm still hopeful that I'm going to find my missing panther (escaped 3.5 months ago). Unfortunately the weather is starting to cool off quite a bit. Time is short.
 
Book idea is great! lol

Thanks for sharing that! Truely is amazing, and with a happy ending none the less and a great story to boot!
:eek:
 
Great news. I lost a veiled yrs ago and found him about a week later walking along the wooden fence in my backyard. But a yr and 1/2 outside in a suburban neighborhood with cats and birds is amazing. I'd say both you and Mr Worf are lucky.
 
Yes, a year of free-ranging has changed Mr. Wor

Wow! Great news! That is just unbelievable!. There was someone on here about a month ago that found their chameleon after being gone for 3 months in Las Vegas and he found him right in his own front yard! Guess, it goes to show that their wild, survival animal instincts kick in and it's do or die! I am so glad that you are reunited! Post some more pics of him. P.S. I am glad that you kept the cage, although he is probably not going to be too happy after free ranging for a year and a half!

In the two days he's been back, Mr. Worf seems more reclusive and no longer takes crickets out of my hand. But I assume that it's just a matter of readjustment. Also, he's bigger now and I need to upgrade his enclosure to a 2x2x4'.And yes, I'll be more careful free ranging my dude in the future. I had him on a bush that I thought was "safe." He demonstrated his incredible acrobatic skills, though, in somehow rapelling up to a very thin branch of the neighboring tree, then by the time I had gotten an 8-foot ladder, he was up the next tree, a 40' palm. I'd like to think he is glad to be "home", but in all seriousness, I'm sure he's forgotten all about me and is now sulking that he has to be enclosed again. "Yesterday my world was an oyster, now I'm stuck in this tight space! But at least I get regular feeding and misting. Life was tough out there in the wild!" or so I fantasize him saying to himself (assuming chams talk to themselves).
 
That's amazing! Should bring some sort of hope to others who have lost their chams outside.

I bet in time he'll get used to being pampered again lol.
 
What and incredible story!!! And seriously what are the odds that he ended up on your neighbors front door!! Just amazing! I agree with Jannb. He would probably be a great candidate for an indoor Free Range. I Free Range my Jackson's and he just loves it. Anyhow, congrats on the return of your baby boy! :)
 
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