MATCHING FUNDS! Up to $15,000 by OUR GENEROUS donorS, THE VITALE FOUNDATION, through April!
SUCH great news, for us at Over and Above Africa. Our extremely generous donors, the Vitale Foundation are offering matching funds up to $15,000 for our fundraising efforts over the next two months! This means every dollar you give, doubles in value! It will be used for all of our projects in Africa that protect and defend endangered wildlife, and the communities they impact.
The rehabilitation wildlife centre is coming together! Deirdre walks the newly marked land in anticipation of the arriving structures.
Join us as we fund the new facilities in South Africa that allow our partners on the ground, Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, and We Wild Africa, to continue the vital work they do in treating injured wildlife, rehabilitating them and then releasing them safely back into the wild.
We’re building a world-class rehabilitation facility just south of the Kruger National Park in beautiful, South Africa. The facility when it is finished, will service animals in and around the park (many injured animals are victims of careless tourists, driving too fast through the national park), but will also treat wildlife in the greater Mpumalanga Province. This will be the only approved rehabilitation centre endorsed to treat animals in both the red and white zones. The red zone refers to wildlife infected with Tuberculosis (TB) and the white zone to animals not infected, that live in Kruger National Park.
Once finished, the wildlife rehabilitation center will also become a hub for visiting veterinarians to teach and learn new procedures in caring for wildlife. It will facilitate multiple educational outreach programs for local children, students, as well as global volunteers and medical interns. Veterinarians in the region who once had to drive several hundred km to access equipment to gage the health of an animal will now be able to use these facilities, saving many valuable lives in the process!
Need: Intensive care and ultimate rehabilitation and monitored release of injured or abandoned animals in and around Kruger National Park and the greater Mpumalanga Province.
Plan: After treatment, once animals are strong enough, they will be placed in the enclosures at the rehabilitation centre to prepare them for a monitored release.
Completions: Once approved for release, the wildlife will be moved to a soft release enclosures in various reserves throughout the country or abroad. All releases will be professionally performed and/or monitored by, We Wild Africa, our partners on the ground and led by conservationist, Dereck Milburn.
Background of Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre
Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, embodies a commitment to the ethical rehabilitation of indigenous wildlife. Founded by the passionate Deidre Joubert, this unique centre operates as a self-funded, registered non-profit organization, dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of South African wildlife facing injury or displacement.
In the captivating landscape of the Lowveld, where the delicate balance between humans and wildlife is often challenged, Wild and Free serves as a refuge for creatures caught in the complexities of human-wildlife conflicts.
Their 24/7 open door policy, is a testament to the unwavering commitment they show to the well-being of Africa’s diverse wildlife. Deidre Joubert, fueled by a profound passion for wildlife, leads her team in rescuing animals from all corners of Mpumalanga.
The unique biodiversity of the Lowveld often transforms it into a hotspot for human-wildlife conflicts. Drivers speeding is a major contributor to the wildlife that Wild and Free treat. There is a pressing need for a rehabilitation facility in this region, countering the unfortunate reality of insufficient facilities to treat casualties. This results in injured animals left unattended, or in the care of a caring, but untrained public - which can lead to public health risks and the inappropriate raising of habituated wildlife.
Wild and Free is capable of handling all species of animals, ensuring they receive the expert care and attention they deserve. With a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, this centre will provide a much needed sanctuary for injured wildlife but also serve as a consultative resource and learning facility for the community.
In addition to the life saving operations performed, the clinic will ultimately become a training facility for future veterinarians, and volunteers visiting from wthin Africa and from overseas and appropriate students visiting to complete internships.
Become a part of this exciting project by donating and sharing this fundraiser!
The center has been designed for growth and for maneuverability. Fundraising to purchase new modules that will be put in place as the center grows and needs arise. They are also mobile with global warming in mind, so should a disaster befall the area (like a fire or a flood) something epic that would put the animals and staff at risk, we have the ability to move everyone from wildlife, staff, volunteers and the modules themselves, to safety.
The center has been designed for growth and for maneuverability. Fundraising to purchase new modules that will be put in place as the center grows and needs arise. They are also mobile with global warming in mind, so should a disaster befall the area (like a fire or a flood) something epic that would put the animals and staff at risk, we have the capability to move everyone to safety.