Due to human encroachment on the natural habitats of wildlife, organizations like the Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre in Hoedspruit often face the problem of where to release animals when they're ready to return to the wild.
The growth of urban and suburban areas throughout the country has meant sharing habitat with humans. In one recent example, the Moholoholo Centre was contacted by a farmer in the area about an injured leopard that he found on his farm.
Luckily for the leopard, its injuries were relatively minor in nature; a broken tooth and minor wounds to its face. After a short period of convalescence and care at the centre, the animal would be ready to return to the wild. A release date of June 18, 2012 was set, but the staff of the Moholoholo Centre then had to face the challenge of finding a safe place to release the leopard.
Brian Jones, the director of the Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre since its founding in 1991, decided that the Timbavati would be the ideal place to release the now-recovered leopard. It's an area which is quite familiar to Jones, having lived in the bush there more than twenty years ago, with animals regularly walking right by his hut.
Moholoholo staff members and a group of students brought the animal to the Timbavati, where students Faye Walker and Jamie Traynor had the honor of opening the door of the leopard's cage to release the animal - once the group's cars were parked, with doors and windows shut tight. Without even a moment of hesitation, the leopard took off across the river and into its natural habitat of the veld.
It was thrilling moment, to be sure. More to the point, it's exactly the kind of moment that the staff of Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre hope to see with every animal they rescue. The hard work of all the people involved with the Animal Rehab Centre is completely focused on the preservation of wild animals in South Africa and for that us fellow South Africans thank them.
The growth of urban and suburban areas throughout the country has meant sharing habitat with humans. In one recent example, the Moholoholo Centre was contacted by a farmer in the area about an injured leopard that he found on his farm.
Luckily for the leopard, its injuries were relatively minor in nature; a broken tooth and minor wounds to its face. After a short period of convalescence and care at the centre, the animal would be ready to return to the wild. A release date of June 18, 2012 was set, but the staff of the Moholoholo Centre then had to face the challenge of finding a safe place to release the leopard.
Brian Jones, the director of the Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre since its founding in 1991, decided that the Timbavati would be the ideal place to release the now-recovered leopard. It's an area which is quite familiar to Jones, having lived in the bush there more than twenty years ago, with animals regularly walking right by his hut.
Moholoholo staff members and a group of students brought the animal to the Timbavati, where students Faye Walker and Jamie Traynor had the honor of opening the door of the leopard's cage to release the animal - once the group's cars were parked, with doors and windows shut tight. Without even a moment of hesitation, the leopard took off across the river and into its natural habitat of the veld.
It was thrilling moment, to be sure. More to the point, it's exactly the kind of moment that the staff of Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre hope to see with every animal they rescue. The hard work of all the people involved with the Animal Rehab Centre is completely focused on the preservation of wild animals in South Africa and for that us fellow South Africans thank them.
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Learn more about wild animal rescue and rehabilitation. Stop by Moholoholo's site where you can find out all about an injured leopard's recovery and release.
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