Wild Voices SA

01/09/2026

🌱🦋 **HAPPY SPRING DAY!** 🐦🌿

Spring has officially arrived, and with it comes one of the busiest and most important times of the year for wildlife rehabilitation centres — BABY SEASON!🐣🦉🦔🐒

As nature wakes up, so do our wild animals. Birds are nesting, mammals are giving birth, and all around us tiny lives are beginning their journey.

For us at the rehabilitation centre, this means we are heading into full-swing baby season — a time filled with orphaned, injured, displaced and sometimes simply misunderstood baby animals needing our help. ❤️

Every year, we receive wildlife babies that need specialised care, warmth, food, medication, rehabilitation and eventually the chance to return to the wild.

But we cannot do this alone.*🥹❤️

🌿 HELP US HELP THEM. 🌿

Your support, whether it is a donation, food, supplies, sharing our posts, or simply educating someone about what to do when they find a wild baby, makes a real difference.

Remember: not every baby animal found alone is orphaned. Many young wild animals spend time away from their parents while they learn to survive. Before rescuing, always seek advice from a qualified wildlife rehabilitator.

This Spring Day, let's celebrate new beginnings — and help give our smallest patients the best possible chance at a wild future. 🌱🐾

One animal at a time. One life at a time. One release at a time. ❤️

🌿 Help us help them this baby season.
Your support could be the difference between survival and loss.

26/08/2026

In Memory of Annette Rademeyer ✨️

Our deepest and heartfelt condolences go out to the family of Annette Rademeyer, as well as to her King William’s Town SPCA colleagues and friends.

Although we did not have the opportunity to work with Annette extensively, on the occasions when our paths did cross, she was always incredibly helpful and compassionate towards all animals. Her dedication to animals and her willingness to assist made a lasting impression.

Her passing is a tremendous loss, not only to her family, friends and colleagues, but also to the many animals whose lives she touched through her work and commitment.

We hope that Annette’s name and legacy will continue to be remembered with pride, alongside the many good things she accomplished throughout her years of serving and protecting animals. May the kindness in her heart live on through the people she worked alongside and the countless lives, both human and animal, that she touched along her journey.

Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family and the King William’s Town SPCA family during this incredibly difficult time.

May she rest peacefully, knowing that her work mattered and that her love for animals will continue through those she inspired. 🕊️🐾

With love, from the Wild Voices SA family 😔❤️

20/08/2026

🌿 **EDUCATION IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS CONSERVATION** 🐾

How can we protect something we do not understand?

Nature is a complex and interconnected system where every animal, plant and organism has a role to play. From the smallest insect to the largest predator, every species contributes to the balance of our ecosystems.

🌱 **This is why education matters.**

When we teach people about wildlife and how nature works, we replace fear with understanding. We begin to understand why predators, pollinators, birds, insects and even the species we may not always appreciate are all important.

And most importantly, we need to educate the next generation.

The children of today are the conservationists of tomorrow. If we teach them to understand, respect and appreciate nature, we give wildlife a better chance at a future.

At Wild Voices SA, we believe rehabilitation is only one part of conservation. Education is equally important.

But education also needs action. ❤️

We can help one animal at a time, and right now, we need your help to create a better, safer and more professional enclosure for our tortoises. 🐢

By supporting our **Tortoise Project**, you are helping us provide these animals with a suitable environment where they can be cared for safely and responsibly while we continue working towards their best possible future.

🌿 **Help us help our tortoises.**

Every contribution, no matter how big or small, brings us one step closer to creating the enclosure they deserve.

👉 Support our Tortoise Project here:

https://pay.yoco.com/r/7rP6KK

We cannot protect what we do not understand.
We cannot conserve what we do not value.
And we cannot value what we have never learned to appreciate.

Let’s educate today, act today, and create a wilder tomorrow. 🌍🐾

09/08/2026

We lose many.
We save some.
We never stop trying🖤

Not every animal that reaches us is given a fair chance at life. Some arrive already standing with one foot on the other side, broken, starving, poisoned, trapped, injured or simply exhausted from surviving in a world increasingly controlled by humans.

This beautiful Crowned Eagle was found by a farmer, grounded. Weak. Emaciated. Covered in blood-sucking parasites.

We knew his chances were incredibly small. After treatment we left it to destress and find comfort with its new surroundings. This time, we could not save it.

However, saving wildlife isn't about winning every battle. It is about giving every animal the best chance we possibly can and, when we succeed, giving them back the life they were born to live:
FREE, WILD and in their natural environment.

We are not God. We will never play God. We make decisions based on:
Welfare
Quality of life
and
What is truly best for the animal...even when the answers are heartbreaking.

Rest peacefully, big soldier. 🦅
You deserved the wild.

And for a little while, you knew what it felt like to be safe.

Even when we cannot change the ending, we can change what happens before it. 🖤

03/08/2026

🐾 A Closer Look at Our Beautiful Wild Girl 🐾

The next step in her journey was a visit to the veterinarian, where she could be safely sedated for a thorough health examination. Thank you Dr. Hensburg and Jaydene from Greenfields / Kidd's Beach Vet

This gave us the opportunity to complete a full physical assessment, collect blood samples for DNA testing, and closely examine the characteristics that make the African Wild Cat (*Felis lybica cafra*) such a remarkable species.

From the moment we saw her, we had a strong feeling she was something special.

African Wild Cats have several distinctive features that set them apart from domestic cats and many hybrids. They typically have:

🐾 A sandy-grey to tawny coat with faint stripes.
🐾 Well-defined black rings around the legs and tail.
🐾 A tail ending in a solid black tip with several dark rings.
🐾 A white chin and pale underparts.
🐾 Reddish colouring behind the ears.
🐾 Long legs, a lean, athletic build, and striking amber to green eyes.

Unlike many domestic cats, African Wild Cats are incredibly alert, elusive, and perfectly adapted to surviving in the wild. Every feature—from their camouflage to their agility—has evolved to help them hunt and thrive in South Africa's diverse landscapes.

Although her physical characteristics strongly suggested she was an African Wild Cat, appearances alone are not enough. Hybridisation with domestic cats has become one of the greatest threats to the genetic purity of this iconic species, making DNA testing essential for conservation decisions.

Blood samples were carefully collected and sent to a specialist laboratory for genetic analysis.

While awaiting the DNA results, we also began searching for a safe, protected release site should the results confirm what we hoped. A huge thank you to the incredible team at Shamwari Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for their commitment to wildlife conservation and for working alongside us to secure a suitable release site. Their support ensured that, if she was confirmed to be a genetically significant African Wild Cat, she would have a safe place to return to the wild.

➡️ **Next up: the moment we've all been waiting for... her release back into the wild! Stay tuned as we share the final chapter of this incredible journey.** 🌿🐾

28/07/2026

✨ We've been keeping a little secret... ✨

For the past few months, we've been waiting for the right moment to share some incredible news with all of you.

A few months ago, we received a call about a wild cat that had been caught in a trap cage. Without hesitation, we made the long journey to collect her.

After assessing the situation, it became clear that releasing her back into the area where she was found was not an option. Sadly, the surrounding farming community viewed these cats as pests, and many are trapped and killed. Returning her there would have placed her life at serious risk.

Before making any decisions about her future, we first had to answer one very important question...

Was she a true African Wild Cat, or was she a hybrid?

African Wild Cats naturally interbreed with domestic cats, making genetically pure individuals increasingly rare. Today, finding an African Wild Cat that exceeds the 90% genetic threshold is incredibly uncommon and of great conservation importance.

Blood samples were collected and sent away for genetic testing. Then came the hardest part...

The wait.

While waiting for the results, she stayed at our rehabilitation centre, where every effort was made to keep her as wild as possible. As an adult, human interaction was kept to an absolute minimum. She received species-appropriate care, enrichment, and a carefully managed rehabilitation program to ensure she remained physically fit, mentally stimulated, and ready for life back in the wild.

From the very beginning, we had a strong feeling she was something special. Her physical characteristics, behaviour, and instincts all pointed towards her being a true African Wild Cat.

Then the phone call finally came...

🧬 **The results were in...**

She tested above the 90% threshold, confirming her as an African Wild Cat! 🐾💚

We were absolutely overjoyed.

The next challenge was finding her a safe forever home in the wild. Because returning her to the capture site would have placed her in danger, we began searching for a protected environment where she could live the life she was born to live.

Thanks to an incredible collaboration, Shamwari Private Game Reserve Shamwari Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre welcomed her onto their protected reserve, where she has now been successfully released.

Watching her disappear back into the bush where she belongs was one of those moments that reminds us exactly why we do what we do.

Every successful release is a victory—not just for one animal, but for the conservation of an entire species.

A huge thank you to everyone who played a role in her rescue, rehabilitation, genetic testing, and release. Conservation is only possible when passionate people work together.

Here's to a future where more African Wild Cats can roam safely and remain truly wild. ❤️🐾

20/07/2026

A mother has to go on without her baby……

SOUND ON 📣Listen to the terror in his little voice.

One pellet - One Life!

It didn't just injure a monkey.
It left a baby terrified and trapped inside a body that could no longer carry him back to safety.
It left a mother desperately trying to save her child, unable to understand why he could no longer cling to her.
And ultimately, death.

LET THIS SINK IN.⚠️🐒
The person who pulled the trigger is responsible for this baby's death.
BUT if you are feeding vervet monkeys and encouraging them to come into your yard,

YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM TOO AND PARTIALLY TO BLAME.❗️

You are teaching them to come closer to humans. You are putting them in places where people can reach them, target them and shoot them.

🚫 STOP FEEDING VERVET MONKEYS. IT’S NOT THAT DIFFICULT!

You are NOT helping them.
You are putting them at risk.
This baby paid the ultimate price.

One person feed them.
Another person pulled the trigger.
And a mother lost her baby.

If you truly care about them,
KEEP THEM WILD.
STOP FEEDING & SHOOTING WILDLIFE!

12/07/2026

Monkey Matters Eastern Cape said it and we stand with them! "This pitiful little one was sighted in Deer Park this morning - painted /dipped in blue paint 😠 😡
Let's kill this myth once and for all.
Painting a monkey white—or any other colour—will NOT make its troop reject it. That's not science. That's ignorance dressed up as advice.
What it will do is terrify, traumatise and potentially poison a defenceless animal. It can damage its skin, eyes and coat, cause immense stress, and leave it desperately trying to remove the toxic paint.
Let's call it what it is: animal cruelty.
There is nothing brave about overpowering and painting a wild animal. It's an act of cowardice against a creature that cannot defend itself.
If we want to call ourselves civilised, then let's act like it. Stop spreading myths. Stop abusing wildlife. Respect the animals that share this planet with us."

WV - They deserve to be here JUST AS much as you and I do!

This pitiful little one was sighted in Deer Park this morning - painted /dipped in blue paint 😠 😡
Let's kill this myth once and for all.
Painting a monkey white—or any other colour—will NOT make its troop reject it. That's not science. That's ignorance dressed up as advice.
What it will do is terrify, traumatise and potentially poison a defenceless animal. It can damage its skin, eyes and coat, cause immense stress, and leave it desperately trying to remove the toxic paint.
Let's call it what it is: animal cruelty.
There is nothing brave about overpowering and painting a wild animal. It's an act of cowardice against a creature that cannot defend itself.
If we want to call ourselves civilised, then let's act like it. Stop spreading myths. Stop abusing wildlife. Respect the animals that share this planet with us.

10/07/2026

🐢 A life was saved yesterday. 💚

The full story is coming soon—stay tuned to see what happened and how this incredible rescue unfolded. 🐢🌿