Kidnapped chameleon rescued by trucker who saw it trying to cross busy Florida road
The odd case of a beloved chameleon taken by a suspected wildlife “vigilante” came to an unexpected end when a trucker found it trying to cross a busy Florida highway, rescuers say.
Driver Noah Kenny of Carroll Distributing Company reports he spotted the chameleon Wednesday, Sept 13, along South Patrick Drive in Satellite Beach, according to the Wild Florida Rescue.
“Such a miracle,” the agency wrote in a Facebook post. “Worried the chameleon would get run over (Kenny) quickly pulled over, grabbed the animal and put it in the cab of the truck with him.”
Kenny then continued to his next delivery, where he paused to search social media and discovered a chameleon had been stolen Aug. 24 from a wildlife rescue agency in Satellite Beach, about 65 miles southeast of Orlando.
A series of phone calls put the lizard back in the hands of Wild Florida Rescue later on Sept. 13, and close inspection by staff revealed it was indeed their stolen lizard, officials said.
Known as Cornelius, the chameleon is a wildlife “ambassador” for the nonprofit, which rescues wildlife from predicaments that are often related to Florida’s booming development.
It remains unclear what happened during the 20 days Cornelius was missing, but the agency assumes “it was a vigilante sort of thing” that involved “a kidnap and release to the wild.”
“Someone walked right in the front bay and took him out of his cage and ran off with him,” the agency wrote on Facebook.
Chameleons are not native to Florida but have made their way into some South Florida wildlife areas via the pet trade, the University of Florida says. Heavily developed Satellite Beach is not among the areas where they are known to survive, experts say.
Cornelius was not injured during his big adventure in the outdoors, officials said.
“We can assure all he is happy to be home and safe!” the agency said.
“He climbed right into his cage and had a great big meal! ... Cornelius has got a forever and ever home with Wild Florida Rescue.”
This story was originally published September 15, 2023 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Kidnapped chameleon rescued by trucker who saw it trying to cross busy Florida road."