By Yolanda du toit
Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary in Stanford, Western Cape, suffered severe damage and disruption on the 8th of January after a devastating wildfire. Almost all of their animals were evacuated. But despite the devastation, there was a coming together of people, help, and hope.
The wildfire destroyed large parts of Panthera Africa with extensive damage to their facilities, big cat camps, key infrastructure, and electrical fencing.
They were able to safely evacuate all of their 26 animals. Most of the animals escaped serious injury. Sadly, Rays, their beloved tiger, did not survive. Massive smoke inhalation and the darting caused severe lung oedema and cardio-respiratory compromise. He passed away on 10th January.
Gabriel (leopard) and Pardus (black leopard) are being cared for by Ashia in the Paarl. The two servals, Lekanya and Kamagelo, as well as Arabella (tiger) and Baguira (lion), are looked after by the team at Jukani, Plettenberg Bay. Arabella and Baguira had to be moved to Old Chapel Veterinary Clinic in Pretoria after secondary burn wounds became visible. They are receiving intensive care from the big cat specialist, Dr Peter Caldwell.
Queen lionesses Zakara and Jace are being cared for by the Lions Foundation in Bela Bela. The white lionesses Lei-ah and Elsa are being looked after at the Animal Defenders International (ADI) Wildlife Sanctuary, Free State.
King lions Chaka, Oliver, Neptune, Ivana, and Karlos are being cared for at Lionsrock (Four Paws), Bethlehem.
Balozi and Mahaba are safe with Shamwari (Born Free), Eastern Cape.
Skillie (tortoise), Lucky and Love (jackals), bonded pair Jasper and Tammy (serval and cat), Amy and Gigi (caracals), and their domestic animals are still with them at Panthera Africa. These animals are smaller and can be safely loaded into crates and moved quickly should they need to evacuate again.
Apart from having to evacuate and suffering extensive damage, they also lost their main sources of income: the volunteer program, educational visits, and sales of curio shop merchandise. Crucial funds must be raised to care for the remaining animals and cover ongoing expenses, such as emergency veterinary treatment and relocation costs.
All the animals are currently receiving excellent care, and most are doing well. Unfortunately, some are still being treated for severe burn-related injuries. A few are taking a little longer to settle, which is understandable given the trauma and confusion they have experienced.
They don’t know the full extent of the damage and costs yet, or what the future will look like.
You may ask what the good news is here? Their motto, “In unity there is strength”, simply cannot be any truer in the events that unfolded since the 8th of January. Apart from the devastation, the team is beyond grateful for all the support they received. The outreach from the public to help and donate, the firefighters, people offering transport and covering costs to relocate the animals, and the respective sanctuaries that helped to temporarily rehome the big cats. It showed once again that where there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.
https://pantheraafrica.com/wildfires/
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By Yolanda du toit Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary in Stanford, Western Cape, suffered severe damage and disruption on the 8th of January after a devastating wildfire. Almost all of their animals were evacuated. But despite the devastation, there was a coming together of people, help, and hope. The wildfire destroyed large parts of Panthera
The post In unity there is strength – The story of the fire at the Panthera Big Cat Sanctuary appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
