NGO: wildlife rehabilitation centre based in the North of
Johannesburg
By Megan Anderson
A tiny featherless chick lies awkwardly in the palm of someone's
overly large hand. Its pink wrinkled flesh barely visible through the
fluff on its back. This is just one of the many baby vultures that
the Freeme centre, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has helped save over
the last five years.
There are many such photographs at the Freeme exhibition stand at
the Global Forum at Nasrec, all depicting helpless animals or birds that have
been victims of accidents or maltreatment at the hands of humans. "The
centre deals with the rehabilitation of all indigenous animals in and
around the suburbs of Gauteng," says Margi Brocklehurst, Director of
the Freeme Centre. " We deal with everything from the smallest
White-Eye to a Black Vulture, from hedgehogs to jackals."
Situated in the Rietfontein Nation Reserve, near Sandton, this centre
has been running since1997, and has so far managed to fill a considerable gap,
the preservation of South Africa's suburban wildlife. "We started out as a
small group but since then we've just grown and grown," says Brocklehurst.
The centre is staffed and operated by a fulltime manager and two
support staff members and but relies heavily on a dedicated group of
trained volunteers. "We have about 25 active volunteers in the
northern suburbs of Johannesburg," says Brocklehurst, "but we also
rely on the pubic a lot, to bring us the injured animals. Sometimes,
if it's an emergency we'll go out and fetch the animal ourselves."
Once the animals have been treated and rehabilitated, Freeme tries to
release them in a suitable environment. "Garden birds are easy to
relocate, because they are literally found everywhere. But for other
indigenous birds, such as the raptors, we try take them out of town,"
says Brocklehurst. For some animals it is vital that they be taken to
a protected space when being released, so as to guard against further harm.
Operating under an Open Permit, granted by the Gauteng Department of
Nature Conservation, Freeme tries to promote a responsible attitude
towards the environment and wildlife, by creating awareness through
newsletters, educational programmes, publicity and advice. "We're a
non-profit organization, and are self-supporting although we also rely
on the generosity of the public through donations, sponsorships and
voluntary assistance", says Brocklehurst.
To date the Centre has managed to deal with more than 12 500 individual cases
as well as four major oil/toxic spills. "Animals all form part of a chain,
lose one part and there will be trouble," says Karen Dixon, a member of the
support staff for Freeme. "Frogs can tell you if a river is polluted
or not. It's aspects such as these that show you just how important
it is to keep species alive."
The centre is open seven days a week and encourages the public to
phone them if they know of any animal that is in danger. However,
Brocklehurst stresses the fact that Freeme is not a zoo and so is not
open to the public for viewing. -- Witsnews
Emergency number: 083 558 5658
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