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PRESS ROOM - CURRENT NEWS

NEWSLETTERS | PRESS RELEASES | MEDIA COVERAGE

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World Aids Day 2011

World AIDS Day is held on the 1st of December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. Today is also an opportunity for you to learn the facts about HIV and put your knowledge into action. If you understand how HIV is transmitted, how it can be…

news from the centre

It’s been a while since we’ve done an update, so to make up for things being a little quiet, we’ve made this one is a juicy bumper edition. With the onset of summer, and subsequent rains, things have great here at the Centre. For starters, we’re all much happier now that winter is behind…

Cheetahs released onto Blue Canyon Conservancy

Earlier this year HESC went to Mountain Zebra National Park in Cradock, Graaf-Reinet to fetch five cheetahs that were due to be relocated to the Blue Canyon Conservancy in Hoedspruit. The adult female (age unknown) and her three 18-month-old…

They came, they saw, they got their hands dirty

Recently we promised that the Miss Deaf SA 2011 finalists would be coming to visit the Centre. Well visit they most certainly did, and from the sound of their packed itinerary, they had a lot of fun while with us.

The Miss Deaf SA 2011 finalists are coming to visit

Last year's visit proved to be such a success that we decided to invite the Miss Deaf SA 2011 finalists to spend a few days with us at Nungu Camp as well. Lente Roode (HESC founder) and Willa Riekert (Organiser of Miss Deaf SA and…

HESC to the rescue

We've recently had a number of opportunities to do what we do best here at HESC, which is to give animals (and birds!) a safe place to rest and recuperate after they've been injured or traumatised.

We're going green

With our initial efforts being such a resounding success, we've since taken further steps to ensure the wellbeing of Mother Earth and her many inhabitants. The implementation of extensive recycling practices has spearheaded these sustainability and eco-friendly policies.

Paulos Ngobeni School gets a mini bus

First Heather Giannoccaro of G&H Transport showed us that one person really can make a difference, and then she and husband Jimmy decided to adopt Khula as well.
Now this amazing woman has done it again!

Doe Een Wens does it again

Earlier this month Daniel van Wyk came all the way from Holland to visit HESC. Daniel is a cancer sufferer whose lifelong dream it's been to visit Africa and interact with lions and cheetah, although his love of wildlife is not limited to these cats.

Sharing is caring (Sustainable Eco Initiatives)

We're pleased as punch to announce the recent launch of our two new sustainable eco projects. The 'Weeping-Boer-Bean Tree'and 'Sharing is Caring' projects both came about as a result of Camp Jabulani's constant striving to create eco initiatives and sustainability practices.

Two cheetahs released onto Blue Canyon Game Conservancy

In April the Mountain Zebra National Park in Cradock decided to relocate eight of its cheetahs to new homes. This was in order to ensure the genetic integrity of its cheetah population, as well as the Park's ecosystem. Five of these cheetahs took up residence atHESC, and they were followed a short while later by another three of their mates.

What's been going on: 1-17 August

We've had a busy and exciting few weeks here at the Centre (with a long weekend thrown in for good measure), which is why we've been a little slow with our updates. A number of schools came to visit, we celebrated the opening of our new Community Art Gallery, and we waved goodbye to our July/August intake of students.

Art Gallery launch a huge success

The launch of HESC's new Community Art Gallery on Saturday proved to be a resounding success. The project forms part of the Centre's extensive and exciting community development programmes. In collaboration with renowned interior designer, Gert Gertzen, the facility was conceptualised to showcase works by local artists with wildlife as their main subject matter.

The HESC Community Art Gallery opens its doors

HESC's focus has always been the conservation of endangered animals, but we've since decided to branch out into more creative endeavours. The HESC Community Art Gallery was conceptualised to showcase the works of local artists, with a percentage of all funds raised going directly to running costs of the HESC and its many animal residents.

A very sweet engagement (and adoption)

Deon Ward is a born and bred local, so it was only a matter of time before Wendi Sazama came to visit South Africa and experience firsthand the country her beloved grew up in. She ended up getting a much sweeter visit than she could ever have hoped for though.

Trudie Howard

This dame is the Centre's oldest staff member on paper, but the youngest at heart. At 55 years old, this busybody decided that staying at home was for the birds and came to work at HESC instead. She's been firmly entrenched in our team and hearts for 10 months now.

Sunlight on Martin

This is one cheetah that did not have a great start to his life. Along with two of his litter mates, Martin's legs were tied together with a rope and people then abused them as they saw fit. Fortunately the SPCA was informed of these atrocities, and confiscated the cheetahs. Sadly Martin was the only one to survive, and because of what he had to endure he was understandably aggressive towards humans and other animals.

What's been going on: 15-28 July

It was so cold yesterday that we decided to put Koos inside the Curio Shop. A few months ago the poor bird was so sick that he very nearly met his maker. HESC's manager, Gretha - who also doubles up as the Centre's personal Florence Nightingale - had to take our desperately ill patient home with her and feed him with a syringe.

More Wild dogs adopted

Naming our Wild dogs can be a challenging task, because they all deserve to be called something that is not only unique, but also fitting of their character. And then of course there's the added problem of identifying them again once we've named them, because they all look so alike.

67 Minutes in honour of Nelson Mandela

On Monday (18th July) our former president, the inimitable Nelson Mandela, celebrated his 93rd birthday. The world marked the special day with the "67-Minute-Volunteer-Service" campaign, which served to honour this Nobel Peace prize winner's 67 years in service to others by doing the same.

What's been going on: 27 June - 14 July

We've had a busy couple of weeks here at the Centre, but we've also had fun in equal measure, so it's all good. Winter still has us in its chilly clutches and doesn't look set to let go anytime soon. That said, we're all doing our best to soldier on as best we can beneath the many layers we don each morning in a bid to stay warm. Roll on September!

WILD SOUTHERN GROUND HORNBILLS BREEDING SUCCESSFULLY

We recently noticed that a wild pair of Southern Ground Hornbills have bred successfully, which means something in the area must have improved in order for them to achieve this.

HESC TAKES CARE OF AN INJURED LEOPARD

Last Tuesday (21st June) HESC received an injured leopard from the Leopard Conservation Project, after it had been caught in a snare in the Vaalwater District. Founder Fred Berrangé told us that another leopard had also been caught with a snare around its waist.

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON: 20-26 JUNE

The weather has been very moderate over the past week. We're extremely grateful for this welcome respite from the cold, especially when we see the freezing temperatures the lower parts of the country have to contend with. Then again, winter is far from over so we may well be commenting too quickly.

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON: 13-19 JUNE

We have just three words to describe our current state of being: cold, cold and…COLD! The early mornings and evenings find us moving in slooooooow motion, although it does eventually warm up enough that the middle part of the day generally ends up being quite bearable (we still have to wear our jackets though).

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON: MAY/JUNE

Things have been busier than usual up here, which is why we've been a little slow with bringing you updates. On the plus side, it does mean that this update is a long one. So get yourself a cuppa and enjoy. Very chilly mornings and evenings are causing even the hardiest among us to put on our jackets! We also had some rain this week, although nothing as heavy as what they experienced in Gauteng recently.

ONE PERSON REALLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Apart from adopting one of our cheetahs recently – which is in itself a bighearted and incredible gesture – Heather Giannoccaro (co-owner of G&H Transport and Repairs) has literally motored her way down HESC's dauntingly long "wish list", and ticked off the items one by one.

OUR LAZY RANGERS

Life as a guide does not just consist of taking guests on tours. Here at the Centre we like to keep our guides busy and fit even when we don’t have visitors. On these slightly quieter days they get the opportunity to work with…

SUNLIGHT ON TOFFEE

Toffee is an eight year old female who was born and raised at HESC. She reminds us of Blanche from the eighties hit sitcom The Golden Girls. She is relaxed, peaceful and charming – just like her human counterpart – and every bit as popular with the boys. But our Toffee…

HESC WELCOMES FIVE NEW CHEETAHS

On Sunday five cheetahs were successfully relocated to HESC. After many months of preparation and much anticipation, five cheetahs – an adult female with three sub-adult cubs and an adult male – were successfully relocated to their new home at the ....

WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON: 11-17 APRIL

The mornings and evenings are becoming decidedly nippy, hinting of colder times ahead. We did enjoy a lot of rain this week though, which is great because we need all the water we can get before the dry season arrives. We’re apt to complain when summer ends, but…

G&H TRANSPORT AND REPAIRS ADOPTS KHULA

Khula – who is part of our “Senior Adoptions” campaign – was adopted by Heather and Jimmy Giannoccaro, owners and representatives of G&H Transport and Repairs. After attending a wedding in the area, the Giannoccaro family and some of their co-workers spent a night at Kapama…

SHEILA GETS ADOPTED…TWICE!

Olivia Banda and Cindy Price have both proven that the power of one is boundless. As part of our new “Junior Adoptions” campaign, these two forward thinking kids each adopted a cheetah for the year. Olivia chose Max, while Cindy opted for Sheila, one of our…

KHULA STRETCHES HIS LEGS

One of the best feelings in the world is to open a cage trap door and watch as one of our cheetah runs free. Unfortunately they are sometimes faced with unforeseen challenges as they adjust to life in the wild, although if this does happen HESC is never far away.
In March…

HESC is working together with the Cat Conservation Trust in South Africa and Ree Park in Denmark to ensure a future for the endangered Black-footed cat.

Dale and Dagmar will be moving from the Cat Conservation Trust to HESC in the next…

What's been going on: 21 March - 3 April
It's been a fun and exciting week at the Centre. We've had new arrivals in the form of people and animals. Koos is up to his old acrobatics again, and we enjoyed a good bout of rain and lightning storms.

Wild dog adoption
HESC's main focus has always been on endangered species, but until now only the cheetah has been part of the adoption programme.

What's been going on: 21-27 March
It's been a really busy time at the Centre , which is why we didn't post an update last week. Busy is good though, as it keeps the coffers filling up and us out of mischief.

Slowly oh coloured one
With winter fast approaching, and the lovely green bush that is synonymous with summer slowly disappearing, there are other things to forward to!

HESC goes all out to support Earth Hour
This year we decided to embrace Earth Hour wholeheartedly. We felt this worthy cause deserved our full attention since everyone that works at HESC has a passion for conservation.

The Lion King
With HESC and its staff housing being surrounded by the Kapama Game Reserve - Big 5 area - we were recently afforded the incredible experience of listening to wild lions interact with those in captivity.

Sunlight on Max
If you were to ask anyone who has been to HESC who their favourite cheetah is, the name Max would pop up most frequently.

What's been going on: 7-13 March
It's still very hot and humid up here in Hoedspruit, but hopefully we'll get some rain soon! We don't want to complain too loudly though, because before we know we'll be hauling out our winter woolies.

What's been going on: 28 February - 6 March
It's still warm and humid up here, although chilly winds in the mornings and evenings whisper softly of colder times ahead.

These shoes were made for walking
We recently launched our ‘Leave your footprint’ campaign. Starting with Paulos Ngobeni Primary school - HESC's existing charity - the initiative will serve to assist disadvantaged schools within the Limpopo Province community.

What's been going on: 21-27 February
Last week wasn't nearly as exciting as the one before, but then that's not altogether a bad thing. Sometimes it's nice to be able to just amble along in the slow lane, have time to stop and smell the flowers.

Zeta and the late Heidi have been immortalised
Oomfy - an organisation that helps orphaned animals - heard about the work we do at HESC , and asked if they could support one of the animals at the Centre .

What's been going on: 14-20 February
Last week was full of fun and games. Zeta made an artful escape, Koos developed a dislike for the cabinet his cage stands on, and we met a duiker with a taste for the bizarre.

The wild dogs
Summer is definitely the best time of the year to photograph the wild dogs. The fresh, green bush coupled with the dogs’ fluffy white tails and beautiful black, brown, white and chestnut coloured coats is nothing short of breathtaking.

Sunlight on Michael
Since February is the month of love, we thought it appropriate to focus on Michael - one of our king cheetahs, as this Cassanova recently paid a visit to Lovers’ Lane.

The life and times of Spottie
In November 2007 we welcomed four African Spotted Eagle Owls from a Zoo in Johannesburg. Two of them have since been successfully released back into the wild, and at night we still sometimes see them in the area.

Sunlight on Duma
If Duma were to be compared to a movie character, it would definitely be Rambo. But this rough and tough adrenaline junkie also has a heart of gold, and the kind of larger than life personality that everyone who meets him falls in love with.

The power of one is boundless
Having your own cat is great, but having your very own cheetah is so much more exciting. Olivia Banda realised this when she decided to adopt Max recently.

Large spotted genets
Victor van Wyk recently found two Large-Spotted genet babies in his garden. After a thorough search he ascertained that the mother was nowhere to be found.

Spotlight on Cecile Burger
Cecile Burger has been a Field Guide at HESC for the past three and a half years. We tracked her down to find out what makes her tick.

Cats and birds go free!
On Saturday 6th November HESC , in conjunction with the Association of Italian Experts of Africa (AIEA), released four African Wild Cats and two Spotted Eagle Owls back into the wild.

Introducing Milky, Smartie and Crunchie!
You'd be forgiven for thinking so, but HESC hasn't suddenly branched out into the fine art of chocolatiering. In fact, these particular 'chocolates' could do you some serious damage if you were to take a bite out of one of them.

Stick to your day job
When Mondi Rotatrim and Waltons Gauteng challenged us to build a cheetah, we weren't in the slightest bit fazed. We are a Cheetah Centre after all.

Miss Deaf SA visits HESC
The finalists enjoyed a jam-packed week here at the Centre , filled with new and exciting experiences, photo shoots and a lot of hard (and dirty) work!

Bon Voyage Rosalina
On the 6th of August, Rosalina, a 4-year-old female cheetah from the Eastern Cape was released on Hongoni Private Game Reserve.

A fond farewell to Heidi
We're very sad to announce that Heidi passed away recently. After years of tireless service as a loving and caring surrogate mother to the many orphaned animals at the Centre (some of which were as much as eight times her size), this endearing and kindhearted sheep has finally left us in search of 'greener pastures'.

Anthrax Outbreak
We recently experienced a devastating Anthrax outbreak at the Centre. We lost three cheetahs in the process, one of which was pregnant.

The Student Programme adopts a school
At HESC we have an ‘adopt a cheetah’ program that complements our ongoing fundraising efforts. This initiative has proven to be both popular and successful.

Days of our feathers: Season 1
We have some Spotted Eagle Owls in one of the large aviaries here at the Centre. They’re busy breeding at the moment, which means love is in the air.

Gifts from above
With all the Marabou storks that have been hanging around lately, we took it as a definite sign that babies were on the way. After all, everyone knows that the stork brings babies. Right?

A celebrity comes to visit!
Yesterday the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre was fortunate enough to receive a visit from Bertha le Roux, who is better known for her role as Emma on the popular television show 7de Laan.

Duma the Houdini wannabe
Of the 47 cheetahs here at the Centre, Duma, our lovely 2 year old male cheetah, is the only one to jump fences! Fortunately for us (and the school groups walking past his camp), not towards the outside!