The Sunday News
WHAT images are conjured up by mention of the word “chameleon”? Perhaps different images to different people, and for different reasons. To those who love the pre-colonial history of the Ndebele people it may conjure feelings of betrayal, treachery and political intrigue. The colonial project was moving ahead almost at full throttle. It was the beleaguered Ndebele monarch who gave his impression on the symbolic significance of the chameleon in reference to the gathering storm of imperial machinations.
“Did you ever see a chameleon catch a fly? The chameleon gets behind the fly and remains motionless for some time, then he advances very slowly and gently, first putting forward one leg and then another. At last, when well within reach, he darts out his tongue and the fly disappears. England is the chameleon and I am that fly.” The troubled King Lobengula said these words to the London Missionary Society (LMS) Hope Fountain-based missionary Reverend C D Helm (uHelemu). Cecil John Rhodes’ colonial manoeuvres were reaching fever pitch. The image of a chameleon in the context was not positive.
Even before then the Ndebele had a negative perception of the slow-moving reptilian creature. Their origin myth placed the blame for humankind’s death to the chameleon sent by the Creator to bring the good tidings that humans were to have eternal life. “In the beginning when the Creator was completing his plans for the world, he wished to give the gift of immortality to First Man. The Creator sent chameleon to First Man with the message that First Man must drink from a stream that he had blessed with heavenly knowledge.
“After doing so, humanity was going to live forever.” However, the “Slow Walker” was slow in delivering the good news to the First Man prompting the Creator to send the nimble footed lizard, (untulo) to take the tragic news that First Man was not to have eternal life. From then on First Man and his progeny lost the gift of eternal life because of the slow moving chameleon.
For quite some time now I have been aware of a lady, one Mrs Cecille Knight, the Chameleon Lady, who lives in Suburbs in Bulawayo. She is into something unique — keeping chameleon pets in her house. Most people keep cats, dogs and even snake pets. Not so with Cecille. How and why did such a unique pursuit start?
Cecille and her family arrived in Zimbabwe in 2013. Their children were immensely fascinated by seeing creatures not found in France such as the millipede (itshongololo) and the gecko, among others. Curiosity got the better of the children and in order to understand the strange creatures the Knights started keeping chameleons as pets. In the past three years they have raised no less than eight chameleon pets. It was the prevailing prejudices surrounding the chameleons that urged Cecille to raise the chameleons with a view to undertaking Internet research, literature research and direct observation on the scandalised creatures. She also raised itshongololo for eight months once again with the aim of finding out more about what it feeds on.
As Cecille and I get down to talk about her not-so-familiar pets the table is literally littered with beautifully and colourfully illustrated books on the chameleon. There are also work books where children wrote about the chameleons. One could justifiably call Cecille an authority on the unique chameleon pets. She exudes deep knowledge and confidence about the chameleons, all gleaned from extended and intensive research. Now the Professor of Chameleons gets invited to schools to give illuminated presentations on her pets. Her project, titled “Chameleon Awareness in Zimbabwe (CAZ)” started in April 2015 and rapidly gained popularity among the nurseries and crèches in Bulawayo. Her workshop under the CAZ project is called “Chameleons are Cool.” Cecille has offered four-hour talks to several children’s institutions such as Busy Bee, Wide Awake Nursery School, Home of Learning Montessori, Little Flock of Jesus and Petra Primary School, inter alia.
“Mr Pathisa the visual (presentation) is important when you teach the young,” says Cecille as she pages through her teaching aids. Being a teacher myself, I fully appreciate the need for using visuals. The concrete and visually appealing draw the attention of young learners and help them grasp the learning concepts.
Indeed, her lessons have dispelled fear of the chameleon among the impressionable young children. The several pictures she has point to the fact that there have been positive changes in the attitudes of children with regard to the chameleon. Children are pictured with a chameleon walking over their heads or children holding the chameleon in their hands. After all, the chameleons are not horrible nor are they terrible. What Cecille’s children had been told about chameleons did not tally with their research findings.
“Surely the chameleons that we keep in our house are gentle, delicate and never bite. So we came to the conclusion that what we were told about the chameleons does not sit well with what we are experiencing empirically,” says Cecille.
We move from the table where we have hitherto been carrying out our conversation to have a look at one chameleon specimen perched on a plant next to a window. From the green and red markings on the lower part of its neck Cecille knows this is a female chameleon. The brightly green colour of this female chameleon is a pointer to its happy mood. In this house Cecille and her family keep two pet chameleons named Fluffy and Tinkerbell.
“The chameleon workshops are an enjoyable time as children embark upon new adventures and lots of fun with “Fluffy” and Tinkerbell, the pet chameleons,” screams the “Chameleons are Cool” flyer.
“It is through many creative games, fun story books, songs and exciting activities shared together, that your child will discover this unusual reptile without fear or worry. It is my priority that people in Zimbabwe start loving and not fearing chameleons as they present no danger to humans.”
How does the four-hour presentation on chameleons to children benefit the little ones? That will follow in the next instalment.
