In 1972, a pet shop imported several dozen Jackson's
Chameleons from East Africa,
but they escaped.
Slowly but surely,
they found their way out of the sultan's
and up into Oman Forests.
And that's where the trouble began.
Horned males joined it, escaped females
free from predators.
And with an abundance of food,
they began eating their way to Hawaii's
unique wildlife.
Invasive species like these communities
have contributed to the extinction of over 500 native
species.
Attempts are now
being made to recapture the communities
part of a much larger effort to save Hawaii's native wildlife.
Even in the most unlikely places
in Hawaii's busiest city, Honolulu,
a white tern chick is just a few days old
with no nest to protect him.
He must clean history, perch
while he waits for his parents
to deliver regular supplies of squid and small
fish.
These birds will, revered
by the ancient Polynesians.
They knew
that if they saw a white tern with a bill full of fish,
it was a sure sign that land was nearby.
And yet it's likely the arrival of humans
wiped them out from the main islands.
But now the turns are making a comeback.
In the last 60 years, their numbers have risen
from a single pair to over 2000 birds.
Busy roads may help keep predators away
and trees planted within the city provide safety.
A prime nesting habitat.
In six weeks time, this chick will take to
the air.