Colorful hustle and bustle at the zoo

Even the chameleon now has its own day of honor

Hands off exotic wild animals in the living room! At the zoo, they live in a species-appropriate environment and can be observed closely!

(Bild: Daniel Zupanc)

They are colorful, they are funny to look at - and they are strictly protected! International Chameleon Day, initiated by Wildlife Madagascar, will take place for the first time on May 9. This day is intended to celebrate these fascinating reptiles and promote their protection. 

Schönbrunn Zoo is also celebrating this day of honor for the first time and putting the spotlight on this exotic animal. A special craft and information corner will be set up in the ORANG.erie café.

Whether decorating chameleon masks or designing chameleon buttons: There are no limits to the children's creativity here. In addition, visitors can expect lots of exciting information about the colorful little animals. 

Schönbrunn Zoo

• What : Chameleon day with craft and information corner
• When? Thursday, May 9, 2024 from 9:00 -18:00h
• Where? Café ORANG.erie (access via the zoo!)

Colorful pangolins
"We also recommend stopping by to see our Mount Kenya three-horned chameleons. They have returned to their terrarium at the giraffe park after their winter vacation behind the scenes. You can see, for example, how chameleons move their eyes independently to keep an eye on their surroundings," says zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck.

(Bild: Daniel Zupanc)

Endangered species
There are over 200 chameleon species worldwide, a third of which are endangered. The animals are endangered by habitat destruction, global warming and illegal trade. Chameleons are repeatedly caught illegally and smuggled to Europe or America, where they are sold illegally.

Hands off exotic animals
At Vienna Airport, customs regularly discover smuggled animals that are brought to Schönbrunn Zoo for care. All nine chameleon species in the zoo originally come from such confiscations. "Under the leadership of curator Anton Weissenbacher, the commitment and expertise of the team of keepers means that the animals can not only be nursed back to health, but also bred later on.

In this way, we build up reserve populations outside the chameleons' natural habitat, which can contribute to the survival of the species, some of which are highly endangered," explains Hering-Hagenbeck.