Help Wildlife With Emergency Medical Treatment

More Good News!

The most amazing Blessing has been that our project was selected for the April 2023 “Project of the Month” We were overwhelmed by the honor and wonderful outcome of this selection which is enabling us to do so much more to ensure the safety and health of our wildlife!

One of the priorities is that we are now – at last – able to proceed with. is the building of a secure boma (enclosure) to enable us to treat injured or care for any orphaned wild animal with easier access and the ability to apply for medical assistance. Wild animals are of course somewhat different from domestic and even if they are friendly and allow one to approach them, it is impossible to hold them steady for treatment and they have to be sedated. Under sedation, they are easily treated for instance for a wound, but at times they need to be kept secluded to ensure healing and protection. Our Boma will be predator-proof and it will also include a stable and shelter. We may not be able to develop the full extent of the planned boma area but the Project of the Month outcome will enable us to at least begin with the most important basic structure and enclosure.

In the meantime, we have seen a Nyala antelope male that is limping. He moved off into the forest but our wildlife guard is looking out for him. If the limp does not heal (at times nature heals herself) then we will take measures to assist. Stripy one of our Zebra sustained a cut on her rump that we identified was from an extended piece of wire from the wildlife fence at the boundary of our 120-acre Nature Reserve. Luckily it was not deep so has healed nicely. Of course, we have checked the fence for any other problems and it is ok. However, we are going to be replacing the whole of the western boundary fence now as it is about 10 years since we erected it and it needs replacement. 

The rest of the wild are doing well and our previously orphaned "Flower Patch " wildebeest, now with her own youngster "Pollen" is well. "Pollen" her youngster is growing so quickly and his horns are about 50 cm long but still straight. The same-age young impala rams also have little straight horns and soon they will begin to curve. Now that winter has arrived, we are bringing in extra fresh hay and supplement feed for our darling zebra and wildebeest. The other animals are browsers or mixed feeders, meaning that they also eat leaves and herbs as well as grass so we do not need to supplement their food, although the nyala sometimes sneak up to also enjoy a little of the fresh grass/hay.

The monkeys are our delight and we greatly appreciate them as for many years they were not seen on our property (it was initially a part pineapple monoculture farm, that we bought to enable nature to return) It was only after 8 years that they returned as previous land owners would shoot them on sight!  The monkeys sometimes investigate to see if the zebra have perhaps left behind a few pellets of feed and we have seen them carefully brush off any sand and nibble on the little treat. But we do not feed them wildlife feed as this could lead to conflict.

As preventing any injury to our wild remains is our top priority, we are going to be acquiring a drone to assist with anti-poaching surveillance and we look forward to this. It would also help us to seek the nyala that is limping and further assist with surveillance of our Nature Reserve and its wild.

The final amazing news is that we have at last achieved the necessary criteria to be registered as a Nature Reserve and this will be published in the South African government gazette. To achieve this has taken 32 years of dedication to bring nature back to a once derelict property! We are Blessed and overjoyed to have achieved this outcome and met our dream to restore and protect the wonderful biodiversity of our property. We thank you all for your support through the years! 

We are pleased that This year, to date, we have had no medical emergencies!

Last year was daunting with various medical emergencies for our wildlife and we were saddened every time to see suffering and extremely grateful for all the support that helped the wild. The saddest day was when, notwithstanding a number of weeks of intensive treatment, our darling zebra, Tammy did not survive her leg wound and she had to be euthanized. Her mate, Milky Way mourned her incessantly for weeks calling her and moving around the place under a marula tree where we had buried her.

Our most surprising moment was that our appeal to assist us to buy a mate for MilkyWay, was fully funded! We have named the female "Pretty Girl" as she is dainty in appearance with a delicate-looking face. Her relocation to our reserve was delayed because the landowner decided to sell her together with her friend and the two zebra are now to join MilkyWay and his other mate.

In the meantime, "Flower Patch" our previously orphaned wildebeest is now a proud mother. Being cautious, we decided to wait for the little gnu (the Khoisan name for wildebeest) to mature as the zebra that are to be brought in are not used to wildebeest. They may be a risk to the new baby if they chase or hurt her. Therefore, we will be patient, while she develops and grows, but we hope to bring Pretty Girl and her friend in before the end of March.

They will be moved by being immobilized or sedated and a Vet will be in attendance during the translocation.

With the heavy rains our Biodiversity is flourishing with many insects that are beneficial, but some are bothersome, Luckily the wildlife does not succumb to Nagana/ sleeping sickness that is carried by the Tsetse fly and is now prevalent in our area (A number of domestic dogs have been infected in the False Bay vicinity) Mosquitoes are also now very active but the wild seem to also be immune to them although heartworm can be transmitted by mosquitoes it is not often found in South Africa.

To keep & maintain the prime condition and health of all our wildlife we bring fresh hay and game pellets into the Reserve a number of times each week. The best way to keep our wild healthy is to ensure that their food choices are adequate. We therefore also keep the grazing areas well managed although most of our wild are browsers, unlike the zebra and wildebeest that only graze grass.

At all times should any of our wild require medical attention we will not hesitate to contact our Local veterinarian, Dr. Mike Toft.

Finally, an important project remains, to develop the medical treatment Boma with stables, which we have planned, to enable us to assist in a protected area, any orphaned or injured animal. We would greatly appreciate your support for this project.

Thank you all for caring and for what you have done to help prevent the wild from suffering when injured!