Raptor Rescue Plett

17/08/2026

We would like to extend our deepest and most heartfelt thanks to the Mazhar family for their incredibly generous donation to Raptor Rescue Plett.
Your support has made an immediate and meaningful difference. It has allowed us to purchase much-needed items, including a new washing machine, new rescue and rehabilitation crates, stock up on veterinary supplies and F10 products, and help cover our veterinary bills.
It has also helped keep our essential bills at bay during the past two months, while we have been forced to keep our doors closed as we continue with repairs.
The relief this has brought to our team is difficult to put into words. The financial pressure of running a small wildlife rehabilitation centre is immense, and your generosity has lifted a weight from our shoulders at a time when we truly needed it.
Most importantly, your gift allows us to spend less time worrying about simply keeping the doors open and more time focusing on what really matters.
To the Mazhar family, thank you for believing in our work and for standing behind us during such a challenging time. Your kindness will make a lasting difference to Raptor Rescue and, ultimately, to the birds that depend on us. 🦉❤️
We are incredibly grateful to have your support 🙏

17/08/2026

Please take note that Raptor Rescue Plett will be closed to the public for the next two weeks while we continue with essential repairs and upgrades to our enclosures and rehabilitation facilities.
Although our education centre will be closed to visitors, we remain available to assist with wildlife rescues and rehabilitation during this time.
If you require assistance, please contact us on 078 135 3611 or email [email protected].
Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we work to improve our facilities and provide an even better environment for the birds in our care.
🦉 We look forward to welcoming visitors back for Spring on 1 September 2026! 🌿

📌 VISITOR CLOSURE DATES
🦅 Scheduled Annual Closure Dates – Please Plan Ahead 🦅
To ensure the highest standard of care for our birds and to support the wellbeing of our dedicated team, Raptor Rescue Plettenberg Bay observes scheduled annual closure periods.

🔓The centre will be closed to visitors on the following dates:
• 23 February – 2 March (Reopens Tuesday, 3 March)
• 26 May – 1 June (Reopens Tuesday, 2 June)
• 17 August – 31 August (Reopens Tuesday, 1 September)
• 23 November – 30 November (Reopens Tuesday, 1 December)

During these periods, essential animal care, maintenance and rehabilitation continue behind the scenes to ensure the centre operates responsibly and sustainably year-round.

📅 Please plan your visit accordingly to avoid disappointment.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support 💚

15/08/2026

13/08/2026

12/08/2026

💙 A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE PLETT DINNER CLUB! 🦅
We are incredibly grateful to Rob for inviting Raptor Rescue Plett to be the beneficiary of this Friday night’s Plett Dinner Club! Your support could help us complete a very special project.
We are raising the remaining funds needed to finish a larger, purpose-built enclosure for our two non-releasable African fish eagles, Nkosi and Yemaya.
🦅 Nkosi has been with us since 2021 after being rescued by VulPro following a collision with an overhead power line. Yemaya was rescued in August 2025 with a serious wing injury. Sadly, neither bird is able to return to the wild.
When the devastating May storms destroyed our fish eagle enclosure for the second time, we decided to turn the setback into an opportunity to build something bigger and better for both birds.
African fish eagles are known to form long-term pair bonds, and we hope that, through a carefully managed introduction, Nkosi and Yemaya may have the opportunity to form a bond of their own. ❤️ Their new home will provide the space, safety and enrichment they deserve, while also creating an opportunity for visitors to learn more about these magnificent birds and their conservation.
🎁 WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We are looking for prizes from local businesses and our community that can be auctioned or raffled at Friday’s event. Donating a prize is a wonderful way to support wildlife conservation while giving your business valuable exposure to everyone attending.
If you would like to donate a prize or contribute towards our enclosure campaign, please get in touch on 078 135 3611. Every contribution makes a difference!
🙏 Thank you, Rob and the Plett Dinner Club, for supporting our work. We can't wait to see everyone on Friday night!

06/08/2026

On 4 July, we received a call about a grounded Verreaux's Eagle (Black Eagle) that had been found in De Vlught, near Uniondale.
The eagle had been moved safely off the road by two kind bikers and transported to Die Plaaskind Padstal. Thanks to Adri van Rooyen for contacting us, we were able to make the trip to collect her and bring her into care.
On admission, the eagle had sustained significant trauma, most likely as the result of a vehicle collision. Initial examinations at Knysna Veterinary Clinic indicated a possible contusion to the right lung caused by the impact. She was placed on intensive supportive care, including pain relief, anti-inflammatory medication and close monitoring.
During a follow-up examination, a hairline fracture to her pelvis was identified. We believe this injury had affected her nervous system, leaving her unable to use her legs. Although nerve injuries can sometimes improve with time, recovery is often slow and unpredictable.
Over the following five weeks, she received intensive care and physiotherapy. Throughout her treatment, she showed a remarkable will to live and remained bright and responsive. Unfortunately, despite her determination and some small signs of improvement, the progress made was not significant enough to give her a realistic chance of regaining the mobility she would need to survive in the wild.
Following consultation with our veterinary team, the difficult decision was made to humanely euthanase her to prevent further suffering. While this is never the outcome we hope for, the welfare of every animal in our care must always come first.
Verreaux's Eagles are powerful apex predators, built to thrive in South Africa's mountain ecosystems. Seeing one reduced to such a vulnerable state is a stark reminder of how devastating severe injuries can be. Losing a patient after weeks of intensive treatment is always difficult, but despite the dedication and best efforts of everyone involved, not every injury can be overcome.
Our sincere thanks to the two bikers who stopped to help, to Adri van Rooyen for alerting us, and to the team at Knysna Veterinary Clinic for their continued support throughout her treatment.🦅

03/08/2026

🚨 WE'RE HIRING! 🚨
Part-Time Enclosure cleaner & Groundskeeper
📍 Raptor Rescue Plett
We're looking for a reliable, hardworking and practical person to join our team. This is a part-time position (2–3 days per week) on an initial 3-month fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension based on performance and the needs of the organisation.

Your main responsibility will be maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness in our bird enclosures and rehabilitation facilities. You'll also assist with grounds maintenance and general upkeep, including mowing, weeding, lifting heavy materials and basic maintenance projects.

We're looking for someone who is:
✅ Physically fit and hardworking
✅ Reliable, honest and punctual
✅ Comfortable working outdoors
✅ Willing to learn and take pride in their work

A valid South African ID or passport is required.
A driver's licence, own transport and previous experience working with animals are advantageous.

How to apply
📧 Email your CV and two contactable references to [email protected]. Applications close at 5:00 pm on Friday, 21 August. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to submit a short WhatsApp voice note before being invited to an interview and practical assessment. The successful applicant will commence employment on 1 September 2026.
If you have not heard from us by Monday, 24 August, please consider your application unsuccessful.

24/07/2026

Until we meet again, Valkyrie ❤️🦅
Some birds leave a mark on your heart that can never be replaced. Today, we say farewell to Valkyrie, our beloved Jackal Buzzard. Estimated to have been between 20 and 25 years old, she was our oldest ambassador bird and a cherished member of the Raptor Rescue Plett family.
For many years, Valkyrie captivated visitors during our flying demonstrations, inspiring thousands with the effortless grace and power of a Jackal Buzzard in flight. She was intelligent, fiercely independent, wonderfully quirky, and always full of attitude. Anyone who worked with her will tell you, Valkyrie did everything on her own terms.
Twelve days ago, during one of our flying demonstrations, Valkyrie caught a thermal and drifted higher and higher until she disappeared over the distant forest.
Over the years she had occasionally taken herself on adventures before returning home, so at first we hoped this would be another of her brief excursions. But as the days have passed, we have come to believe that perhaps this time she made a different choice.
We like to think that, in her final years, she chose one last adventure, sparing us the sadness of watching her grow old or having to say goodbye within the confines of an aviary.
We hope she is out there soaring over the mountains and forests she always seemed drawn to, living independently, if only for a little while longer. For a bird that spent so many years inspiring others through flight, it somehow feels fitting that her story may have ended not in our arms, but on the wind.
Valkyrie is ringed and microchipped, so if anyone is fortunate enough to spot her or identify her, we would love to hear from you.
We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Andrea Cross McLellan of Signature Interiors, whose unwavering support for Valkyrie spanned many years. Andrea faithfully sponsored Valkyrie throughout her time at Raptor Rescue Plett, and before that during her years at Radical Raptors. Her loyalty, generosity, and belief in both Valkyrie and our work have meant more than words can express. Thank you, Andrea, for being such an important part of Valkyrie's journey. ❤️
Thank you, old girl, for every demonstration, every challenge, every lesson, and every unforgettable moment. You were, without question, one of the most magnificent Jackal Buzzards we have ever had the privilege of working with.
Fly free, Valkyrie.
May the thermals always carry you safely. 🦅❤️