Conservationists at Chester Zoo hatch rare Parson’s chameleons

A total of 10 chameleons have hatched at Chester, with another 17 currently still in incubation.

The first of the rare reptiles arrived measuring just 2cm long and weighing just 1.5 grams following a 569-day incubation period. They will grow to be around 70cm and 800 grams.

Conservationists at the zoo have described it as a "momentous" occasion and say the techniques developed to achieve this breakthrough could potentially help save other species from extinction.

Jay Redbond, team manager of reptiles at the zoo, said: “To be the first UK zoo to successfully hatch a clutch of Parson’s chameleons is a momentous event for the team here – but most importantly it’s a major breakthrough for the species.

“The levels of intricate care and attention to detail provided by the team over a number of years to achieve this breeding success has been truly remarkable.

"We’ve had to carefully replicate the seasonal variations of Madagascar and mimic the exact same conditions these chameleons experience on the island, right here in Chester, and that’s no easy feat.

"Every slight tweak to temperature and humidity each day and night has been meticulously recorded and, now that we’ve cracked this, we believe we’ll be able to take this information and apply it to help save some of Madagascar’s other threatened reptile species.

“This important clutch of eggs, along with all that we’ve learned along the way, will now help us play a part in preventing the extinction of this incredible species, and many others just like it.”

The Parson’s chameleon population has declined by more than 20 per cent in the last two decades as a result of widespread habitat loss on the island of Madagascar.

Its forest home has now become so fragmented that experts believe the reptiles are unlikely to survive without drastic intervention.