Heritage Day, celebrated annually on 24 September in South Africa, is a public holiday dedicated to honoring our nation’s diverse cultures, traditions, and shared history. It encourages South Africans to reflect on their roots and celebrate what makes the country unique. Over time, it has also become popularly known as “Braai Day,” with the braai (barbecue) seen as a unifying tradition across all communities. While people may have distinct ways of preparing...
International Vulture Day 2018
On the first Saturday of September every year, we celebrate International Vulture Awareness Day.
Why do we need to preserve these endangered birds?
"Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder"
There is a common perception that vultures are unattractive and ugly, when in fact - it's our point of reference that is biased. Without Vultures, pests would raid, disease would spread, our waters would become contaminated and the whole ecosystem would be compromised! They are natures cleanup crew and are vital and beautiful in their own right.
Vultures form an important ecological component of our natural environment, cleaning up dead carcasses and decreasing the spread of some diseases.Today, vultures face an unprecedented onslaught from human activities. They have to cope with electrocutions and collisions with electrical structures, poisonings, land-use changes, a decrease in food availability and exposure to toxicity through veterinary drugs, to list just a few of some of the challenges facing vultures today.
Vultures, positioned at the top of the food chain, are an indicator of the health of the environment below them – and dependent for their survival on a healthy environment.
Every year we highlight the plight of this species and through adoptions we generate funds for VulPro. With the many threats vultures are facing throughout southern Africa, vulture rehabilitation has become an essential part of VulPro’s work.
We feel very strongly about this cause and will be donating R 500-00 of every Vulture adoption towards Vulpro.
How can you help?!
1. By helping us raise awareness! Share their story and appreciate their importance.
2. You can donate any amount towards their cause Donate
3. You can adopt one of our handsome Vultures! Adopt a Hero
Email Carmen at [email protected]
Further Reading
If you’ve ever been on a guided tour with one of our Wildlife Guardians, chances are you’ve spotted Nanji from our Catwalk. More often than not, she’ll be up in her favorite tree, her golden coat glowing in the dappled sunlight, paws dangling as she rests with the confidence of a true queen.
Our Wild Animal Volunteers and interns recently had the unique opportunity to be part of an important wildlife management procedure - the darting and relocation of Cape Buffalo. While they did not witness the actual darting itself, they were welcomed into the process shortly afterwards, gaining hands-on insight into a vital aspect of animal care and conservation.










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