Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
We believe that all wild animals should stay wild.
Unfortunately, humans are increasingly coming into contact with wildlife, as we compete for space and resources.
In our region, the most common causes of injuries to wildlife are vehicular accidents, poisoning, pellet(or other) gun wounds, electrical burns from power poles, trapping and snares. Orphaned animals are usually the result of the adults/mother having been killed – often deliberately – and will (with some exceptions) not survive without specialised care.
Wild Rescue is one of a few permitted Rehabilitation Centres within the Western Cape.
Our aim is to rescue wildlife which have been injured, orphaned or are otherwise in distress; to provide a high-standard of care; facilitate viable rehabilitation; and manage the release-to-wild process.
Our focus is primarily on the rehabilitation and release of species that are indigenous to our region, and that play a critical role in stabilising the biodiversity of our ecosystems. These are usually small to medium sized animals such as caracal, jackals, foxes, monkeys, baboons, porcupine, wild pigs, mongoose, genet, otters, snakes and raptors.
We rescue and provide emergency-care to a variety of other wildlife – some of which are not suitable for rehabilitation and/or release at Wild Rescue. In an effort to ensure each animal is cared for at an appropriate facility, we actively collaborate with rehabilitators and organisations across the country.
HANDS-OFF POLICY
Wild Rescue strongly condemns the exploitation of animals for any purposes.
As a rehabilitation facility, our priority is to ensure that the wild animals we release have the best chance of survival possible once they are back in their natural habitats.
Consequently, we do not allow any interaction with our resident or rehabilitation animals, unless it is essential for their wellbeing.
On-site, these essential interactions include some aspects of orphan rearing, as well as emergency or essential medical care. Off-site, these interactions may also include capture and transportation, where necessary.
During each of these interactions, care is taken to minimise the risk of habituation/desensitisation to humans, while creating as little stress or confusion to the animal as is practical.
RELEASE
It is our duty to ensure that every animal we release back into the wild has a reasonable capacity for survival.
Our practices & protocols are based on the guidelines provided by Cape Nature, the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Assessment of an animal’s suitability for release requires careful consideration at every step of the process.
An animal that is admitted with a permanently disabling injury, or an untreatable transmittable disease, might immediately be disqualified from potential release; but even perfect candidates need specialised consistent rehabilitation in order to pass all their pre-release assessments.
These considerations are veterinary and behavioural in nature, and include the tracking of developmental/recovery milestones; exposure to species-specific strength & fitness test; as well as consistent observation of normal wild behaviour such as food acquisition (through foraging or hunting), and predator avoidance (including wariness of humans).
Once an animal has been assessed as ready for release, an appropriate release site needs to be found.
In coordination with relevant authorities, and with consideration to any particular needs of the individual animal, a release plan is formulated and, if everything works out just right, it all culminates in the most rewarding, bitter-sweet moment.
FACILITIES
Wildlife Clinic
To date, emergency & specialised veterinary care for our patients has been provided by our supportive & gratuitous vets in Stilbaai & Riversdale. With the infrastructure for our own on-site clinic having been completed, we are on track to be fully operational by 2024.
Our clinic was designed by Gerhard Scheepers, in consultation with Dr Douglas Taylor, to create a safe and efficient working environment. This ~60sqm building has a separate assessment room, operating room, aftercare/ high care area, quarantine room, and secure medicine/ store room, as well as a manager’s office with a full bathroom. The clinic is entirely fenced in and can be accessed via the secure drive-in drop-off zone, or by pedestrian gate.
Rehabilitation Enclosures
Aside from the standard steel recovery cages, Wild Rescue has built two solid-structure rehabilitation enclosures.
These were designed to be multi-functional and serve as limited-mobility enclosures for small to medium sized mammals, raptors, as well as small antelope.
We have enclosed the entire rehabilitation facility in galvanised diamond mesh fencing, and plan to build a sizable flight tunnel in the near future.
PEOPLE
Staff and Volunteers
Our small but dedicated team of rehabilitators are responsible for all aspects of wildlife care, from intake to release.
Without them, none of the work we do would be possible – at all.
It is a dynamic & demanding job which requires a good working knowledge of emergency medical procedures, wound management, fluid administration, the nutritional & environment needs of various species, and so much more.
If you have relevant qualifications and/or experience, and would like to get involved, please get in touch on volunteer@wildrescue.co.za
First Responders Network
First-Responders are vital to the outcome of any rescue. These are not necessarily skilled rehabbers but individuals who can assist with Emergency Capture, Transport, and Short-Term Care, from within their geographic areas.
We are always looking to reduce our response time by expanding our network so, if you would like to volunteer, get in touch on volunteer@wildrescue.co.za
Wild Rescue periodically hosts Basic Training related to these responsibilities.
All individuals joining the network will need to pass a basic skills & knowledge assessment, as well as sign a code of conduct.
National Reach
Through our affiliations with other wildlife rehabilitation organisations we are able to extend our sphere of usefulness, reduce our response time to emergencies, and collaborate to provide the best possible care for each animal we are called to assist.
WILD RESCUE HAS BEEN PRE-APPROVED BY CAPE NATURE, TO REHABILITATE & RELEASE ANIMALS OF THE FOLLOWING SPECIES:
• Duiker
• Blue duiker
• Cape grysbok
• Steenbok
• Grys rhebok
• Bushbuck
• Klipspringer
• Genets
• Mongoose (banded, Cape grey)
• Cape Porcupine
• Bat-eared fox
• Hare (scrub and Cape hare)
• Caracal
• Black-backed jackal
• Bush pigs
• Tortoises (indigenous to the Western Cape)
• Chacma baboons
• Vervet monkeys
Note on other species:
For the rehabilitation and release of indigenous animals from species not on the pre-approved list, appropriate permits will be sought on a case-by-case basis.
Note on Primates:
CapeNature classifies chacma baboons and vervet monkeys as species of “least concern”. As such, permits are not granted for the forming of social groups for release. Rehabilitation is strictly limited to emergency care, and requires expeditious release into their originating group in the wild.