Lucky survivor: One of the vultures rescued by the Freeme Centre
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 in Sandton 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 Nature Reserve, just north of
Witkoppen Road, this centre has been running since 1997, 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 full-time manager and two
support staff members and 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 public 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 to take them out of town,"
says Brocklehurst. For some animals it is vital that they be taken to
a protected space when released, so as to guard against further harm.
Hospital care for an injured jackal.
Picture courtesy Freeme Centre
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 organisation, and are self-supporting, although we also rely
on the generosity of the public through donations, sponsorships and
voluntary assistance," says Brocklehurst.
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 if they know of any animal that is in danger. However,
Brocklehurst stresses that Freeme is not a zoo and so is not
open to the public for viewing.
How to reach Freeme
Freeme can be reached at (011) 807-6993 between 8am and 5pm, or 24 hours a day at 083-558-5658.
Their website is www.freemewildlife.org.za
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