Amongst the rolling red dunes of the Namib desert, only the strongest and most adept can survive this hot and hostile landscape. But in a world filled with peril, one little fighter has risen above the rest – the ultimate dragon of the dunes - the Namaqua Chameleon.

The Namib desert is no place for the weak, especially when temperatures rise above 40 degrees Celsius. However, this stoic chameleon has mastered the art of survival – thanks to several key adaptations that help her cope with the heat. A young female born not only with a well-tuned body but a strong will too. She was given the name Ependa which means brave one in the local Herero language.

It is mid-July, and she scours the dunes to lay her eggs. She selects a cluster of dollar bushes on the windward slope of a dune and lays only six eggs which are unusual for a chameleon because they usually lay up to 30 eggs per clutch. She goes out to hunt down her favourite prey – dune beetles but along the way she encounters a rival chameleon. Namaqua Chameleons are highly territorial and will stop at nothing to defend their turf. Will both she and her new young hatchlings make it out alive amidst this unpredictable and unforgiving world? 

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