Wild Rescue NPO

24/10/2026

24/10/2026

🌍🌿 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION | 24 OCTOBER

🌱 Think globally. Act locally. Protect what makes our home unique.

Here in the Western Cape, climate change is not some distant threat. We see how changing weather patterns, prolonged droughts, rising temperatures and increasingly unpredictable seasons place pressure on our natural environment.

Our extraordinary fynbos, indigenous forests, wetlands, rivers and coastal ecosystems are home to an incredible diversity of life. From the smallest pollinators to the birds, reptiles and mammals that share our landscapes, every species depends on a healthy, functioning ecosystem.

🔥 Habitat loss, invasive alien plants, wildfires and climate change put increasing pressure on these already vulnerable environments.

So, what can we do here at home?

🌿 Protect our indigenous vegetation and remaining natural habitats.
💧 Conserve water and care for our rivers and wetlands.
🦋 Make space for indigenous plants and the wildlife that depends on them.
🔥 Help prevent destructive wildfires and support responsible land management.
🌱 Remove invasive alien plants responsibly and support habitat restoration.
🤝 Get involved in local conservation initiatives and encourage others to do the same.

Every patch of indigenous vegetation matters. Every healthy ecosystem strengthens nature's ability to adapt. And every community that chooses to care for its natural surroundings makes a difference.

We cannot tackle the climate crisis through individual actions alone. We need collective action, responsible environmental management and meaningful change. But we can start right here, in our own backyards, neighbourhoods and natural spaces.

💚 This International Day of Climate Action, let's stand up for the wild places and wild lives that make the Western Cape so special.

🌍 Our planet. Our responsibility. Our shared future.

23/10/2026

On Thursday 15 October, a group of experts from the Dendrological Society of South Africa, led by Robert Smith, Chairman of the Society’s Outeniqua Branch, visited Wild Rescue to answer a question we have often wondered about: just how old is the large, sprawling olive growing near our dam? The tree – with its wide, dome-like canopy that enshrouds all who wander nearby its terrace – has been a subject of eager discussion by our team, since an academically credentialed guest to the reserve once marvelled and speculated – perhaps optimistically – that it could be as much as 1,000 years old.

The Dendrological Society of South Africa visited the nature reserve to date our majestic African olive On Thursday 15 October, a group of experts from the Dendrological Society of South Africa, led by Robert Smith, Chairman of the Society’s Outeniqua Branch, visited Wild Rescue to answer a questi...

23/10/2026

🌿📱 LEARN. EXPLORE. RECORD. 🦋

Join us at Wild Rescue nature reserve for the Great Southern BioBlitz: the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest biodiversity survey! Learn how to use iNaturalist, then head out on a guided fynbos trail walk to help map the living landscape. 🌸

📅 Saturday 28 November
iNaturalist training and trail walk with Jolandie Buck, Landscape Manager, Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve

📅 Sunday 29 November
iNaturalist training and trail walk with Martjie Fourie of the Wild Rescue team

⏰ Both days
9:30 – 11:00 AM: iNaturalist presentation
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Guided trail walk and debrief

🧺 Bring a picnic lunch and spend the day with us.
📲 Please download the free iNaturalist app beforehand.
💚 R100 per person, a donation to the nature reserve.
✅ Booking is essential: WhatsApp 076 873 8240 or email [email protected]

Why join? We can’t protect what we don’t know is there. Every photograph you upload is a dated, located record that scientists and conservationists can use, and the Garden Route’s fynbos, forests and estuaries still have so much to reveal. No expertise needed, only curiosity and a smartphone. 🔍

The BioBlitz runs from 27 to 30 November across the Southern Hemisphere. Come and be part of it! 🌿 Garden Route INaturalist Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve Hessequa Tourism - The Explorer's Garden Route

23/10/2026

🌿📱 LEARN. EXPLORE. RECORD. 🦋

Join us at Wild Rescue nature reserve for the Great Southern BioBlitz: the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest biodiversity survey! Learn how to use iNaturalist, then head out on a guided fynbos trail walk to help map the living landscape. 🌸

📅 Saturday 28 November
iNaturalist training and trail walk with Jolandie Buck, Landscape Manager, Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve

📅 Sunday 29 November
iNaturalist training and trail walk with Martjie Fourie of the Wild Rescue team

⏰ Both days
9:30 – 11:00 AM: iNaturalist presentation
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Guided trail walk and debrief

🧺 Bring a picnic lunch and spend the day with us.
📲 Please download the free iNaturalist app beforehand.
💚 R100 per person, a donation to the nature reserve.
✅ Booking is essential: WhatsApp 076 873 8240 or email [email protected]

Why join? We can’t protect what we don’t know is there. Every photograph you upload is a dated, located record that scientists and conservationists can use, and the Garden Route’s fynbos, forests and estuaries still have so much to reveal. No expertise needed, only curiosity and a smartphone. 🔍

The BioBlitz runs from 27 to 30 November across the Southern Hemisphere. Come and be part of it! 🌿

23/10/2026

Ever encountered a Forest Num-Num (Carissa bispinosa) on your walk? 🌿❤️

This hardy, indigenous evergreen shrub is famous for its sweet, white jasmine-like flowers, protective Y-shaped thorns, and delicious, bright red berries.

Rich in Vitamin C and natural flavor, these tiny fruits are loved by people and local wildlife alike-if the birds don't beat you to them first! 🐦🍇

A wonderful reminder of the tasty, hidden treasures tucked away in our natural landscape. 🍃

22/10/2026

Break the Chain of Death 🐾🦅

A dead animal on the road isn't just one loss—it’s a dangerous trap for our local scavengers.

The Scavenger Cascade:
A Cape Hare hit at dawn becomes bait for a Spotted Eagle-Owl or Black-backed Jackal. While feeding, they get hit too—turning one road accident into multiple lost lives.

How you can help in 3 simple steps:

1️⃣ Secure & Clear: Park safely with hazards on. Use gloves, a branch, or a spade to move the carcass well off the asphalt and into dense brush. You return nutrients to the veld while keeping scavengers out of harm's way.

2️⃣ Check for Young: Glance at the abdomen of mammals. Swollen ni***es or milk mean active nursing—orphaned young are nearby.

3️⃣ Report to your nearest Wildlife rescue centre. If a lactating female was hit, a rehab team can monitor the area for wandering babies.

💡 Pro Tip: Keep heavy gloves, a towel, and a sturdy box in your boot. Two minutes of action can save an entire wildlife family!

21/10/2026

🌿 Step into the Fynbos Floral Kingdom at Wild Rescue with our Guided Animal Sanctuary Visit 🐢🐒🌼 Book now for this month's tours on 24 & 25 October!

Looking for a special way to connect with nature? Come and discover the wildlife, indigenous plants and extraordinary biodiversity of the Wild Rescue Nature Reserve, nestled in the beautiful hills of Hessequa.

Our Sanctuary Guided Visits offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the daily lives of our rescued animals. Join our team on their morning sanctuary rounds, meet our leopard tortoises and vervet monkeys, and hear the stories of the animals in our care.

📅 UPCOMING SANCTUARY GUIDED VISITS

THIS MONTH:

• 24 & 25 October
• 21 & 22 November
• 19 & 20 December
• 2 & 3 January

🕙 Tour time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM or later

💚 Donation: R50 per person, supporting the care of our sanctuary animals.

📍 Location: Wild Rescue, Portion 35, Klipfontein Farm No. 414, between Still Bay and Riversdale.

📌 Bookings are essential! Places are limited to ensure a relaxed, respectful experience for our visitors and the wildlife in our care.

📞 078 875 5776
📧 [email protected]

We look forward to welcoming you to Wild Rescue!