Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre

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25 August 2011 – The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre has once again furthered its community development initiatives by supporting the Paulos Ngobeni School, its charity of choice, in collaboration with G&H Transport who has sponsored the school with a new minibus, aiding regular, complimentary visits to the Centre, which will form part of the school's annual educational curriculum.

G&H Transport visited the Centre earlier this year hoping to support the same with its regular involvement with Paulos Ngobeni School. Through their own foundation, G&H Transport bought a mini-bus for the school which will be used for the upliftment and education of the learners and utilised to make regular visits to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, forming part of the students curriculum and educating them about social responsibility as well as conservation and wildlife.

Together with the international students who visit the Centre on a monthly basis, the Centre will also arm the students of Paulos Ngobeni School with computer skills and offer art classes in conjunction with the recently launched Community Art Gallery.

5 Cheetahs Successfully Relocated to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre

20 April 2011: On Sunday, 17 April 2011 and after many months of preparation and much anticipation, five cheetahs, an adult female with three sub-adults and an adult male, were successfully relocated to their new home at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) as part of the Centre’s ongoing breeding programme.

In 2010, South African National Parks (SANParks) projected that some of the cheetah in the Mountain Zebra National Park would eventually need to be relocated to new homes to ensure the genetic integrity of the cheetah population as well as the parks ecosystem.

With the necessary permits in place and a letter of support from the Limpopo Province, the cheetahs were transported in two vehicles from the Mountain Zebra National Park, near Cradock, watched over by four staff members and supported by the expertise of Dr Zimmerman.

The manager of the Mountain Zebra National Park, Lesley Ann Meyer oversaw all the procedures and the cheetahs were inoculated for rabies and cat flu (fellocell), as well as treated with Frontline plus for ticks and fleas. Christo Scheiber (curator at HESC) said: “While the cheetahs were sedated we were able to implant a microchip for identification.”

Now released at HESC, the five cheetahs will remain in quarantine for three months before joining the other cheetahs in the successful breeding programme.

Lente Roode, founder of HESC states: “I am thrilled to receive this incredible ‘present’ and we all truly appreciate Mr David Mabunda’s effort and for his support with HESC. These cheetahs will add new bloodlines to our current stock and assist in preventing in-breeding. We aim to maintain a large enough gene pool to be able to prevent the cheetah from becoming extinct; however some of these cheetahs will also be released in areas where necessary. This is a wonderful, encouraging and positive moment for conservation here at HESC.”

The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre Launches Its First Cheetah Conservation Training Programme in 2011

25 February 2011 - The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), one of the leading private research and breeding facilities for endangered species in South Africa, is proud to launch the first in its series of conservation and wildlife educational programmes during 2011 aptly called ‘Cheetah Conservation Training Programme’.
The programme welcomes participants aged between 18 and 35 years to get involved in a practical approach to conservation and wildlife, which runs for three weeks from Tuesday 1, March - 21, March 2011 R14,400.00 for RSA residents and for non-RSA residents R18,000.00. Dates for future programmes will be announced in due course.

The extensive curriculum will give students the opportunity to be involved in the preparation of animal food and feeding the animals, the possibility of working with the wildlife vet (darting, capturing and operating on animals), assisting in the hand-rearing of animals as well as local community involvement by visiting schools in rural areas.
Bookings are essential; please contact 015 793 1825 or 083 654 2299 or email students@cheetahcentre.co.za

NEW GENERAL MANAGER AT THE HOEDSPRUIT ENDANGERED SPECIES CENTRE

17 December 2010 – Gretha Scheepers has been appointed as the new General Manager at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), part of the award-winning Camp Jabulani, situated in the heart of the Limpopo Province, which is a proud member of the Relais & Châteaux Association.

Scheepers’ duties will include continuing the Centre’s work of sustainable energy and recycling policies, extensive educational programmes for staff as well as local communities and the implementation of its multiple pioneering conservation programmes, which has resulted in the recent achievement of the highly coveted ‘Conde Nast Traveler World Savers Award’.

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THE CAMP JABULANI PIONEER FOR CHANGE PROGRAMME
Combining the Luxurious Elephant Experience with ‘Volun'tourism' at the HESC in an exclusive 4-for-3 package.

11 November 2010 - A strong interest by Camp Jabulani's clientele into the practices conducted at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) has lead to the conceptualisation of a more intensive "hands-on" ‘volun'tourism' itinerary. This will enable visitors to become actively involved in a working day at the progressive wildlife conservation facility which is custodian to a number of orphaned, injured and vulnerable animal species. A visit to the HESC is always offered to Camp Jabulani's guests, but many have expressed the desire for a more interactive and participative experience as opposed to the guided tour where animals are simply observed.

Says Adine Roode, Camp Jabulani's Managing Director, "It is truly heartening to see such extraordinary and genuine interest by our clientele in becoming actively involved in conservation. Moving way beyond the tendency to simply donate cash towards worthy causes is a desire to be part of the change for good. We have always held the belief that one person can make a staggering difference. To see so many now interested is fantastic! It is for this reason that we have decided to bridge the gap, albeit on a very small scale, between the good intentions and the actions required to mobilise them."

The Pioneer for Change Programme includes 3 nights at Camp Jabulani, per the traditional daily menu of activities (including elephant back safaris, game drives, bush walks, spa indulgence, hot air ballooning, watching the elephants swim at the waterhole, and a guided tour of the HESC). Day 4 is however a completely new educational and interactive concept...

Day 4

Guests enjoy an early breakfast to departure at 6h30.
Arrival at the HESC is at 7 am
After an introduction to the Centre General Manager, and a brief orientation of the facilities and the activities planned for the day ahead, it is time to head over to the butchery.
Participants will get "hands on" in the butchery as they assist to prepare the cheetahs, wild dogs and vultures food: 08h00 - 09h00.
The curator will then guide participants through the process of actively feeding the cheetahs, wild dogs and vultures.
It is then time to assist in the preparation of food for the smaller cat species, and any cubs that may be resident at the Centre at the time.
The next hour or so are spent feeding these smaller animals.
The process concludes with the clearing of animals' feeding areas.
Volunteers will also have the opportunity to visit the Animal Hospital, and to meet with HESC's resident vet (subject to his being on site at the time). He will discuss with them any particular cases of interest, and the general challenges faced by the HESC when it comes to rehabilitating orphaned and injured animals that arrive at the Centre.
To conclude the experience, participants will be able to ask questions of the Management Team before departing for Camp Jabulani once again.

Once the experience is complete, a "PIONEER FOR CHANGE" certificate will be issued to each participant to endorse their efforts as volunteers for the day.

In recognition of the work done by volunteers towards the HESC and animal conservation at large, Camp Jabulani will offer the fourth night on a complimentary basis to successful "Pioneers".

Please contact Camp Jabulani for further information on the Pioneer for Change programme, or should prospective participants have particular interests in the HESC which are not included in the sample itinerary above.

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