stick held by experienced chameleon handler Richard
Tondolo strikes a instant bond between him and
tourists visiting Thomson Falls in Nyahururu town.
As foreign tourists draw closer he places the
Rhinoceros chameleon on his palm and invites them to
do the same at a fee for pictures to be taken. After
several shots, Mr Tondolo and the tourists exchange
addresses before bading each other farewell.
Mr Tondolo has been engaged in this trade for the past
twenty years amid continuous protests by curio sellers
at the site who say the trade is illegal and should
not be allowed to go on as it robs them off customers.
“ The sellers are unhappy that my courage has earned
me admirers from various parts of the world who
communicate with me often .I earn my money the hard
way as I risk my life everytime I handle a chameleon,”
he adds.
His prowess in handling these amphibians ably
demystifies the taboo, children should not put a
chameleon on the head or else it will get stuck.
Mr Tondolo has been arrested on various occasions and
charged before court for handling protected wild
animals without seeking a licence from the Kenya
Wildlife Services but different magistrates have had
differing opinions.
“ If you show a tourist a chameleon at a fee and you
do not sell it to them, is it a crime to use your
God-given talent to fend for your chldren?” quipped
one before he acquitted Mr Tondolo.
Mr Tondolo who jointly with Mr Peter Njege conducts
the business have tried to obtain a permit to handle
the animals but no KWS official or those at the
forestry department were ready to accept their
appliation.
Mr Tondolo said that the officers were unable to
understand how one would seek a permit to conduct a
prohibited act.
He later took the struggle to the Nyahururu Municipal
Council and was again turned down as the council said
it could not licence a prohibited trade.
Mr Tondolo made his wish known to the government in a
letter to KWS headquarters in which he said he He
wished to start a sanctuary for the chameleons.
“ Many tourists, notably students from foreign
universities have urged me to start a sanctuary where
they can come and study the eating, habitat and
procreative activities of a chameleon. This is what
made me write to KWS,” he said.
Born forty four years ago, in Kakamega district, the
father of three came to Nyahururu where his father was
working at Thomson Falls Lodge. It was while here that
he developed an interest with chameleons on seeing
tourists enjoyed viewing them.
Although he sustained bites for handling the poisonous
chameleons, Mr Tondolo got interested in studying the
animals when he realised that there were some
scientists interested in the chameleons.
They come twice every year and at a fee, Mr Tondolo
accompanies them to the foot hill of the 72metre high
Thomson Falls where larger species of chameleons are
found. Some live on the trees while other prefer
living on the rocks.
“ Wanton destruction of vegetation in various parts of
the forest surrounding the Falls has adversely
affected the number of chameleons and their sizes.
They have no food and vegetation to live in”, laments
Mr. Tondolo.
At Thomson Falls, there are two chameleon species,
Rhinocerous chameleon ( Chamaelo rhinoceratus and
Jackson Chameleon( Chaemeleo jacksonii)
Mr Tondolo says that many chameleons like hiding from
the sun and have been forced to move deeper into the
forest.
To see a chameleon, enthusiasts are advised to arrive
at the Falls early in the morning when it is still
cool. Chameleons will start moving towards a thicket
as noise around it increases and the rays of the sun
start emerging.
This the time for Mr Tondolo and his mate Mr Njege to
start working by encouraging tourists to come near the
chameleon and take a photograph while holding it.
At first a Swedish national Mr Ivan Grundberg, 65,
declined to come near but was fascinated when he held
it on his palm.
He bursts out aloud as the Rhinoceros chameleon raises
its head as his wife clicks away the camera.
Mr Tondolo says this adds flavour to the visit at the
falls named after historian Mr Joseph Thomson of
Scotland who visited the site in 1893.
Mr Tondolo then strikes a bond with Mr Grundberg and
they exhange addresses with promises that he will be
back in Kenya next year.
In his diary, there are addresses of people who wee
fascinated by his art from various parts of the world.
Mr Tondolo sought books about chameleons and got to
learn more about the wild animal that has been
mentioned in many tales written for children due to
chameleon’s ability to change its colour to suit its
environment.
“ Also the chameleon has a pair of eyes that see the
front and can roll to the rear without turning its
head. If it wants to eat an insect it moves slowly
before it flushes out its long sticky tongue to grab
an insect,” he adds.
Mr Tondolo is happy with move by the government to ban
logging of trees in forests saying this will great
aready home for the chameleons.
At times, the chameleon handler accompanies scientists
to Samburu district in search of the chameleons that
live on the rocks.
The study tour takes the team to the Aberdare National
park where they go in search of the Kikuyu chameleon.
To ease conflict with the curio sellers, the chameleon
handler says, a sanctuary is necessary as it would
also enhance environmental conservation around the
Falls site.
Pollution of water by effluent from sewer lines at
Manguo estate has also affected the environment
thereby leading to the death of a variety of animals
at the Falls.
He adds that thetre is a need for the government to
enhance surveillance efforts in the forests to
discourage and curb charcoal burning.
Madagascar leads Africa with a total of 134 species of
chameleons while Kenya has 85 chameleons discovered
and documented by scientists 80 years ago.
Some chameleons lay eggs while others give birth to
their young ones, adds Mr Tondolo, as he gets into an
intimate conversation with some three tourists from
France.
at the site who say the trade is illegal and should
not be allowed to go on as it robs them off customers.
“ The sellers are unhappy that my courage has earned
me admirers from various parts of the world who
communicate with me often .I earn my money the hard
way as I risk my life everytime I handle a chameleon,”
he adds.
His prowess in handling these amphibians ably
demystifies the taboo, children should not put a
chameleon on the head or else it will get stuck.
Mr Tondolo has been arrested on various occasions and
charged before court for handling protected wild
animals without seeking a licence from the Kenya
Wildlife Services but different magistrates have had
differing opinions.
“ If you show a tourist a chameleon at a fee and you
do not sell it to them, is it a crime to use your
God-given talent to fend for your chldren?” quipped
one before he acquitted Mr Tondolo.
Mr Tondolo who jointly with Mr Peter Njege conducts
the business have tried to obtain a permit to handle
the animals but no KWS official or those at the
forestry department were ready to accept their
appliation.
Mr Tondolo said that the officers were unable to
understand how one would seek a permit to conduct a
prohibited act.
He later took the struggle to the Nyahururu Municipal
Council and was again turned down as the council said
it could not licence a prohibited trade.
Mr Tondolo made his wish known to the government in a
letter to KWS headquarters in which he said he He
wished to start a sanctuary for the chameleons.
“ Many tourists, notably students from foreign
universities have urged me to start a sanctuary where
they can come and study the eating, habitat and
procreative activities of a chameleon. This is what
made me write to KWS,” he said.
Born forty four years ago, in Kakamega district, the
father of three came to Nyahururu where his father was
working at Thomson Falls Lodge. It was while here that
he developed an interest with chameleons on seeing
tourists enjoyed viewing them.
Although he sustained bites for handling the poisonous
chameleons, Mr Tondolo got interested in studying the
animals when he realised that there were some
scientists interested in the chameleons.
They come twice every year and at a fee, Mr Tondolo
accompanies them to the foot hill of the 72metre high
Thomson Falls where larger species of chameleons are
found. Some live on the trees while other prefer
living on the rocks.
“ Wanton destruction of vegetation in various parts of
the forest surrounding the Falls has adversely
affected the number of chameleons and their sizes.
They have no food and vegetation to live in”, laments
Mr. Tondolo.
At Thomson Falls, there are two chameleon species,
Rhinocerous chameleon ( Chamaelo rhinoceratus and
Jackson Chameleon( Chaemeleo jacksonii)
Mr Tondolo says that many chameleons like hiding from
the sun and have been forced to move deeper into the
forest.
To see a chameleon, enthusiasts are advised to arrive
at the Falls early in the morning when it is still
cool. Chameleons will start moving towards a thicket
as noise around it increases and the rays of the sun
start emerging.
This the time for Mr Tondolo and his mate Mr Njege to
start working by encouraging tourists to come near the
chameleon and take a photograph while holding it.
At first a Swedish national Mr Ivan Grundberg, 65,
declined to come near but was fascinated when he held
it on his palm.
He bursts out aloud as the Rhinoceros chameleon raises
its head as his wife clicks away the camera.
Mr Tondolo says this adds flavour to the visit at the
falls named after historian Mr Joseph Thomson of
Scotland who visited the site in 1893.
Mr Tondolo then strikes a bond with Mr Grundberg and
they exhange addresses with promises that he will be
back in Kenya next year.
In his diary, there are addresses of people who wee
fascinated by his art from various parts of the world.
Mr Tondolo sought books about chameleons and got to
learn more about the wild animal that has been
mentioned in many tales written for children due to
chameleon’s ability to change its colour to suit its
environment.
“ Also the chameleon has a pair of eyes that see the
front and can roll to the rear without turning its
head. If it wants to eat an insect it moves slowly
before it flushes out its long sticky tongue to grab
an insect,” he adds.
Mr Tondolo is happy with move by the government to ban
logging of trees in forests saying this will great
aready home for the chameleons.
At times, the chameleon handler accompanies scientists
to Samburu district in search of the chameleons that
live on the rocks.
The study tour takes the team to the Aberdare National
park where they go in search of the Kikuyu chameleon.
To ease conflict with the curio sellers, the chameleon
handler says, a sanctuary is necessary as it would
also enhance environmental conservation around the
Falls site.
Pollution of water by effluent from sewer lines at
Manguo estate has also affected the environment
thereby leading to the death of a variety of animals
at the Falls.
He adds that thetre is a need for the government to
enhance surveillance efforts in the forests to
discourage and curb charcoal burning.
Madagascar leads Africa with a total of 134 species of
chameleons while Kenya has 85 chameleons discovered
and documented by scientists 80 years ago.
Some chameleons lay eggs while others give birth to
their young ones, adds Mr Tondolo, as he gets into an
intimate conversation with some three tourists from
France.
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