The hatchlings’ journey began when their heavily pregnant mother, a flap-neck chameleon, was brought to the Bryanston Avian, Exotic and Small Animal Clinic by a good Samaritan.

Once stabilised, she was transferred to Friends of Free Wildlife (FFW), to lay her eggs in peace.

However, she did not give birth naturally, and the eggs continued to grow inside her.

A decision was made that her and her hatchlings’ best chance at survival was an emergency c-section.

After being operated on by Dr Jean Davidson, her eggs were taken back to FFW to be incubated.

She initially responded well post-surgery, but unfortunately died a few days later, leaving behind 32 eggs under the watchful eye of veterinary nurse Cassey Ure.

Of the 32 eggs, 17 ended up hatching, the first of which began making their earthly appearances on 29 December last year. The last of the babies hatched on 4 March.

Flap-neck chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis) eggs can take up to ten months to a year to hatch, with females only laying eggs once a year.

Once the hatchlings broke out of their eggs, they stayed in the incubator until their umbilicus broke off, after which they gradually transitioned to the terrarium, learning to hunt fruit flies, FFW said in a Facebook post.

All 17 hatchlings were released in the Crocodile River Reserve in Centurion last week.

The Citizen/Nica Richards