Wildlife
We are committed to our credo that wild animals belong in the wild.
Our Wildlife Inspectors work to help wild animals in distress, and to bring an end to the illegal keeping, import and sale of exotic animals as pets.
Who We Are
Capetonians are fortunate to live in one of the world’s most environmentally rich cities; a city surrounded by natural spaces infused with wild plant and animal species, some found nowhere else on Earth but here.
With a human population of around 4.5 million people, Cape Town is a city with Nature at its heart.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA is proud to have its very own Wildlife Unit (only one other SPCA branch in the country has one), comprising a team of dedicated men and women who are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
Our wildlife response efforts are endorsed and welcomed by all City of Cape Town environmental stakeholders including local and provincial authorities (law enforcement and conservation) as well as the NSPCA.
When Nature calls for help, we answer.
What We Do
Game reserves, pets shops, and wild animals caught in the legal and illegal trade.
We keep a proactive eye on facilities wherever wild animals are housed to ensure that the highest standards in animal care are being adhered to at all times.
This includes pet shops, animal sanctuaries, animal rehabilitation facilities, breeding farms, zoos, abattoirs, tourist attractions, airport cargo holds, film productions, institutions of tertiary education and wild animal reserves.
We further play an active role in the education and support of our community members in the proper care for and treatment of the wild animals in their environment, and to encourage communities to report animal abuse and cruelty to us and the relevant authorities in their area should they encounter it.
To report cruelty towards wildlife or for assistance with wild animals in distress, please call our Inspectorate on 021 700 4158/4159 or after-hours, weekends and public holidays on 083 326 1604.
How We’re Helping Wildlife
Cape Town has the most animal and plant species of any city in the world. The responsibility of caring for just the animal segment of the city’s biodiversity is huge. We work in close collaboration with our partners in conservation, science and civic society to support our efforts and help bring about animal welfare change.
Our key focus areas include:
- – Wildlife kept as pets / the trade in wildlife.
- – Wildlife used for public performance (circuses, theatre, etc).
- – Curbing cruelty to all wildlife (including the use of snares, poisons, and the illegal hunting/shooting of wildlife), raising awareness of these issues.
- – Eradicating invasive species.
- – Rescuing injured wildlife including responding to disaster incidents such as oiled wildlife and wildfires.
- – Educating people to live their lives in harmony with wildlife through advice and information.
- – Participating in policy decisions when it comes to issues of wild animal welfare.
- – Training our inspectors in all aspects relating to the proper legislation, identification, care and handling of wild animal species.
To learn more about our wildlife work, follow the Cape of Good Hope’s Facebook page
Useful Wildlife Articles
Short-Term Wildlife Care Facility
The need for a specialist wildlife care and rescue department was identified as an urgent need at the outset when the Cape of Good Hope SPCA first began responding to wildlife emergencies back in 2000.
As the city has grown and expanded so too have the incidences of human-wildlife conflict and so we are ideally placed to handle any and all wildlife emergencies.
Equipped with a variety of pens, pools, aviaries, enclosures and a dedicated clinic to handle every species we commonly encounter (so from bats to baboons, rabbits to raptors, porcupines to pigeons, seals to snakes), our Short-Term Wildlife Care facility was purpose-built to enable the Cape of Good Hope SPCA to provide emergency treatment and short-term care to the widest range of wildlife should it be injured, sick or just needing of a safe and quiet place to recuperate.
Officially opened on 2 May 2012 by Marjorie Letoaba of the National Lotteries Board and Cape of Good Hope SPCA Wildlife Facility Ambassador and environmental campaigner, Lewis Pugh, our facility was a first for the city of Cape Town and leads the way in short-term animal care and welfare.
We are staffed by a dedicated team of wildlife carers with experience in all areas of wildlife care, conservation and management.
Designed by 4th Dimension Studios and built by R+N Master Builders, the completed 456 square metre department is conveniently located alongside the Inspectorate offices at the SPCA in Grassy Park.
The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) awarded funding of R3,993,115 for the development of the facility; to which we added a further R620 000 to enhance the original specifications, bringing the total building cost to R4 613 115.
Wildlife and You
When You Encounter Wildlife in Need
While out walking or driving, you may encounter injured wildlife, animals caught in snares, animals that have disappeared, baby/orphaned wild animals and animals on the road.
Here’s what you should do:
Injured Wildlife
If you find an injured wild animal, first try and ascertain how badly injured it is and what the cause of injury might be (e.g. hit by a car, bitten by a dog).
Watch from a distance.
Do not approach the animal or try to catch it or touch it as it may be dangerous or be scared into running / flying away before help can arrive, putting it at further risk of harm or worsening its injuries.
Injured animals may be dangerous so do not put yourself or others at risk.
Never try and approach or catch these animals if injured or encountered in the wild:
-Birds of prey (including owls)
-Baboons
-Porcupines
-Caracal cats
-Genet cats
-Mongooses
-Seals
-Snakes
-Geese
-Gulls
-Otters
Call our Inspectorate on 021 700-4158/4159 or after-hours, weekends and public holidays on 083 326-1604 and try and keep eyes on the animal until help arrives, if it is possible to do so.
Take extra care and be aware of your surroundings if you are in a dangerous / unfamiliar location, especially at night or by a roadside.
Found a beached whale, dolphin, seal or tortoise?
If you find a beached sea creature, keep a safe distance from it (even if it appears to be dead), and do not touch it. Call us immediately on 021 700-4158/4159 or after-hours, weekends and public holidays on 083 326-1604.
Animals Caught in Snares
Never try to free an animal that you may find caught in a snare or some form of trap.
There is great risk in causing injury to yourself and further injury to the animal.
Keep far clear of the animal to avoid causing it more stress than it will already be and call us immediately on 021 700-4158/4159 or after-hours, weekends and public holidays on 083 326-1604, with the location of the animal.
Animals That Have Disappeared
We receive numerous calls for assistance daily and need to prioritise emergency cases. If an animal you report has moved away or disappeared from view before help can arrive, it is unlikely that we can help it or it may not even need help.
It is therefore critically important that you try and keep eyes on any animal that you report to us until help arrives. We advise that you check on the animal at 15-minute intervals, without getting too close or unduly disturbing the animal. Keep us updated with any changes in the animal’s circumstance.
Often times a perfectly healthy animal may look “injured” or in distress but is actually displaying its normal behaviour, for example, Cape fur seals who may be asleep on a public beach and will not move away even if disturbed.
Where there is concern for a wild animal that may be easily attacked by domestic dogs (eg a seal on a beach), or injured by people, it is best to alert us immediately and to try and stay with the animal until help arrives, keeping people and other animals away if possible.
Baby and Orphaned Wild Animals
If you encounter a baby wild animal that is alone, keep a watch on it from a distance to make sure it is alone.
Do not attempt to touch it or catch it. It is possible that the parents may be nearby, hiding until it is safe to come out or the animal is near its nest or home.
Try and assess the condition of the animal; does it look particularly thin (underfed) or in distress (calling repetitively)? Call us immediately on 021 700-4158/4159 or after-hours, at weekends and on public holidays on 083 326-1604.
Animals on the Road
Animals on a roadside can be a hazard, both to other road users and to the animal itself.
Most healthy animals will be seen moving or running along a roadside or perhaps trying to cross a road. An animal sitting, lying or standing still beside a road may have already suffered an injury from being hit by a passing car.
When encountering a wild animal alongside or in a road, slow down or stop your vehicle (if it is safe to do so), and try to ascertain if the animal is injured or merely passing by.
Healthy animals on a roadside are the responsibility of the local traffic department / police so reporting the animal to them will be best (they will contact us if they need assistance in moving the animal).
If the animal is clearly injured (ie not moving at all but is still alive), call us immediately on 021 700-4158/4159 or after-hours, weekends and public holidays on 083 326-1604.
If you encounter a dead animal on a roadside, please report it to the local council who are responsible for removing dead animals from public areas.
Contact Us
Call: 021 700-4158/4159 or after-hours, weekends and public holidays on 083 326-1604
E-mail: wildlife1@spca-ct.co.za
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THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE SPCA OPERATES IN THE CAPE METROPOLE
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Phone: +27 21 700 4140
After Hours: 083 326 1604
Email: info@capespca.co.za
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1st Ave & First Road
Grassy Park Cape Town, 8000
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