Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital

24/12/2024

And the winner is…

Lydia Craemer!

Our two blesbuck calves (Faf and Mini) were tasked with choosing the winner. Faf mostly tried to eat the pieces of paper and Mini wandered off as she has the attention span of a gold fish…

Congratulations on winning our beautiful Christmas cake raffle!

19/12/2024

Our unique 2025 christmas cake is on its way and here is a sneak peek for you!

Buy a ticket and stand a chance to win this cake and support our wildlife patients at the same time.

This exquisitely beautiful cake was designed, baked and donated by expert baker Lorraine Rautenbach.

The traditional brandied fruit cake with extra fruit is 20cm wide x 10cm high and will easily serve between 20 and 24 guests. This yummy creation’s marzipan is made from scratch and the cake contains raisins, sultanas, currents and cherries - but no nuts.

The exquisitely handcrafted cake has edible decorations and is beautifully painted with pictures of some of our famous patients in edible paint.

This is the cake every wildlife lover needs to finish off their festive table!

To enter:
- R100 per ticket
- EFT and use your name and cell number as reference
- You can buy as many tickets as you want with one EFT, leave the maths to us
- Draw will take place on 23 December at 9am
- Cake must be collected from our premises.

Johannesburg Wildlife NPC
FNB Cheque account
Account nr: 62658400264
Branch code: 255355
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ
Ref: name & cell number

Each R100 will go a long way to help us treat our little wild patients this festive season.

We treat indigenous wildlife free of charge, relying solely on the support of our community.

15/12/2024

Spread some holiday cheer with a gift that keeps on giving!

Some examples of perfect gift ideas for this festive season:
- Our one of a kind heartbeat t-shirts are back in stock - adult and kids sizes
- Hospital and pangolin supporter Relate bracelets
- Blewberry peaks and bucket hats - for keeping cool during hot summer holiday fun
- Our beautiful 2025 calendars - each one of the animals show cased have been a patient of ours in the last 8 years
- Sponsor a species gift - choose from a variety of patients (reptiles, garden birds, small or large mammals, pangolins, birds of prey etc) and support your favourite one.

Please visit our online shop at: https://shop.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/

And you can choose whether to collect from the hospital or to have your purchase sent PostNet to Postnet (R109 per package to any PostNet in the country).

Spread some holiday wildlife cheer this festive season by shopping till you drop - all for a good cause!

09/12/2024

Meet our tiny Spotted Thick-knee hatchling!

This little one may be small, but its needs are anything but insignificant. Growing birds like this Spotted Thick-knee require the right nutrition to ensure healthy development and a strong start to life.

In the wild, Spotted Thick-knees feed on a variety of insects, and we’ve worked hard to replicate their natural diet. Our little chick is currently munching on a mix of insects, enhanced wit EmerAid Carnivore (EmerAidVet) — a specialized, high-quality protein diet for carnivores and insectivores. By sprinkling EmerAid over the insects, it ensures the chick gets the perfect balance of nutrients it needs to grow strong and thrive.

With this tailored diet, we’re giving this young one the best chance to meet all its developmental milestones and, one day, spread its wings back in the wild where it belongs.

Every bird matters, no matter how small! And as you can see, he needs a bit of pointing in the right direction, just like his parents would do.

28/11/2024

Scaly creatures take center stage

This week Dr K and Wendy are attending the 16th Conference of the Herpetological Association of Africa. A wonderful opportunity to keep the hospital up to date with all the new research presented by experts in both the reptile and the amphibian fields.

With herpetology on our minds we would like to share the story of Malcolm (named after Malcolm Marx, springbok rugby player), a young male Southern African python all the way from the Pilanesburg area. He was found in the middle of the road, with evidence of rib fractures and skull fractures. Andrew Jackson immediately sprang into super hero mode and organized an emergency helicopter flight. Pilot Karl Juncker flew the precious cargo to Rand airport where we could collect him.

He was immediately treated for shock and pain and he was placed in a temperature controlled environment. He sustained serious head injuries and had a pronounced head tilt and obvious neurological issues. We were very worried and his prognosis was poor.

But…
With all the prompt and expert care, Malcolm has made a full recovery and he will be released back into the same area where he originated from.

Thank you to everyone who jumped into action for this tiny (for now) snake and making these life saving decisions.

Help us help them.
To donate to our cause, please click on either of these links:
Payfast: https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/shop.johannesburgwildlifevet.com
Or
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=1VAMs1ALprVCh8rTHmn-gRLlHQlIj5ToSf7SOJ7bfLJLUrxmR8VU43V7SzlZ9BKyvSsLFEpRkJDepzXS

Herpetological Association of Africa
Andrew Jackson
Karl Juncker

18/11/2024

Never a dull moment

Summer is definitely here and so are all the new born baby creatures.
Our staff are working around the clock to keep up with all the hungry mouths.
We have many tiny baby birds, bats, genets and even a blesbuck and two springbuck (to name but a few).
Diets vary and we aim to please at our hospital (read hotel)!
Not only do we provide insects, dead prey items, fresh vegetables and fruit, but we also have a range of specialist diets and milk replacers to ensure the best nutrition for each species at our practice.
We have an impressive 31 different species in our hospital at the moment!
The photo shows Elaine feeding a hatchling Cape wagtail with one of our specialist diets - EmerAidVet. A fast growing little fluff ball like this needs the best nutrition possible to guarantee optimal health and wellbeing.

Our food bill is astronomical every month, especially in summer.
We would really love some help with the feeding costs of all the hungry hoards.
Please click on the following link and it will take you to one of the many easy ways to donate to us:

https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html

08/11/2024

Thank you Hot Cares for this awesome surprise and much needed gift.
This ENORMOUS washing machine will make our lives so much easier - it feels like we wash half a ton of washing every day!

Thank you for caring.

See photo in comments with Lonely (our cleaning lady) standing next to the giant Samsung washing machine.

Hot Cares Steps In to Support Sun Sun's Journey of Development

07/11/2024

Our 2025 Calendar is now available on pre-order!

We are in the home stretch of 2024 and we are excited to announce that our 2025 calendars are being printed as we speak!

They are available on pre-order ln our online shop, just click on the following link to place your order:
https://shop.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/product/2025-calendar/

When you purchase any item from our store, you have the option of coming to fetch it directly from the hospital or we can send it PostNet to PostNet for an extra fee of R109 - and this is to anywhere in the country.

Our fantastic partners at GreymatterFinch (https://greymatterfinch.com/? ) have outdone themselves again with the design and concept. Thank you to GMF for all you do for wildlife and conservation in South-Africa.

05/11/2024

An otterly good day!

Earlier this month we received a rather frantic call from the sweetest pensioner who politely asked for help removing an otter from her bedroom.
"An otter?" We asked,
"Are you sure?” We asked,
"Could it not be a water mongoose dear lady? You are in the middle of a built up residential suburb after all?"
But Dame Ronell knew exactly what was going bump in the night under her bed and it was indeed an otter, but not any otter…
It was a spotted necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis)!

Some investigation revealed that this young male had been roaming around the housing complex for a while in the search for food and Ronell's house, with a perfectly sized doggy door, was a spot where he could slip in and finish off her dogs evening meal.
Dr K and Wendy gently caught him in a small net, and he was sedated for transport and a full clinical examination. Thankfully, other than being underweight and mildly dehydrated, he had no serious health concerns.
Once stabilized and awake he was moved into a larger outside enclosure where he promptly started working on gaining that weight back by eating every food item offered!

After consultation with otter specialists at the African Otter Network we identified a perfect release site in a safe and protected reserve.

We would love some help with his care and transport costs for his release:
Please click on this link to donate via Payfast:
https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/shop.johannesburgwildlifevet.com

These small otters (their adult weight is between 4 and 7kg) are slim with webbed paws. They have nails on their front feet (unlike the African clawless otter) and are more aquatic than the other African species, specializing in hunting fish by sight in clear, deeper and flowing waters. The spotted necked otter will also prey on frogs, crabs and small water birds. (IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group).

Now classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, the population is declining as river habitat is lost to development and infestations of alien species in riparian areas, and riverside vegetation degradation from overgrazing. Habitat loss and degradation is exacerbated by human disturbance, including both direct and indirect persecution and/or hunting, reduction of denning sites and diminishment of the species prey base which may be attributed to decreasing river quality from agricultural and industrial run-off.. (https://speciesstatus.sanbi.org/assessment/last-assessment/02112/)

30/10/2024

And the winners are…

We loved seeing all the beautiful and inventive creations for the Pumpkins for Wildlife competition!
Thank you to everyone who entered and especially those who gifted their artwork to our animals and other welfare organizations.

The winners are:

First prize: Team FORA (Friends of Rescued Animals) - with special mention Devon’s angler fish.
Second prize: Emma Ferreira with her Hogwarts carving.
Third prize: Team Santek Industrial Abrasives with their spongebob carving.

Please phone us on 071 248 1514 to arrange for collection of your beautiful cakes 🎂
Thank you to Nicky Sadler for your fabulous cake creations!

24/10/2024

Don’t forget our to enter our Pumpkins for Wildlife competition!

Showcase your creativity and support our wildlife hospital by carving a spooky (or cute) pumpkin.

The top three (3) pumpkins will win some great themed cakes for their spooky celebrations.
Tickets available now on Quicket at R100 each.

Click here for more details and to purchase tickets:
https://www.quicket.co.za/events/286421-pumpkins-for-wildlife/

Our pumpkin (showcased here) has been carved by our very own Wendy Willson and, of course, passed an inspection from our super star dassie, Potato.

(For the original post from 15 October click here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/rDoNfWP6vRTWGG93/?mibextid=WC7FNe)

22/10/2024

A spicy noodle rescue

On Monday 14 October we admitted a baby snake with a serious injury. Sadly, someone had tried to kill this juvenile mozambique spitting cobra by striking it on its neck.

Normally these highly venomous snakes are quite feisty with a massive attitude for such a tiny body. Sadly, when this one arrived he was collapsed and in shock - he did not even try to raise his head or attempt to spit at anything (knowing the normal behaviour is a very important component of treating wildlife).
We sedated him and washed the very large laceration thoroughly, and then used skin glue to close the wound. He also received pain medication and subcutaneous fluids for the next 3 days.

On day 3 he started feeling a lot better and also suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be quite an onerous little so-and-so.
In the beginning he had a bit of a one sided hood (we tried not to laugh), but slowly that corrected and he could show us exactly what he thought about us…
The first few photos show his massive laceration and what it looked like after it was glued.
The last few photos were taken today - an irate snake (normal behaviour for this species) showing us who he thinks is boss.

Thank you Ian McRobie for saving this little lad. Mr Spicy can now be released again.
And thank you to Grant Fairley for always being our safe hands with these animals.

Please support our non-profit facility, we can only do this with your support.
https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html

18/10/2024

Tiny patient with a big appetite.

One of our current patients is a fledgeling amethyst sunbird. These little birds grow to an adult weight of around 15g (the equivalent of 3 teaspoons of water!).
They have insanely fast metabolisms and need feeding almost every 30 mins when young.

Hotel de JWVH is happy to oblige and we cater for any and all appetites. In this case they mainly eat insects when nestlings, and later on start eating nectar as well.

Our little one is old enough to feed himself (sort of) and he is fed a mixture of EmerAidVet carnivore (a specialist carnivore diet high in easily digestible proteins, fats etc) and fruit purity (to simulate the nectar bit).

As you can see he LOVES his mix! Make sure you watch for his long tongue darting in and out to slurp up all the yummy things.

15/10/2024

Join our holiday pumpkin carving competition!

Showcase your creativity and support our wildlife hospital by carving a spooky (or cute) pumpkin.

The top three (3) pumpkins will win some great themed cakes for their spooky celebrations.
Tickets available now on Quicket at R100 each.

Click here to purchase tickets:
https://www.quicket.co.za/events/286421-pumpkins-for-wildlife/

- One pumpkin entry per ticket and you are welcome to enter as many times as you like.
- You can use any of the pumpkin family of your choosing, it does not have to be one of the big orange ones.
- Email a photograph of you and your carved pumpkin with your ticket reference number to [email protected].
- Entries close on 29 October 2024 at 17:00
- The winners will be announced on 30 October at 12:00 on our social media pages.
- Winners can collect their cakes from 31 October onward.
- Once you have done your carving and photo please feel free to come and drop your pumpkin at our hospital (between 09:00 and 14:00 during the week) so that our patients can enjoy some treats too.

Have some fun and show us your skills for a great cause!

11/10/2024

Owl tortured by pastor gets justice at last!

When pastor Charles Mudau and three members of his congregation chose to film and live stream their attack and torture of a young barn owl during a church sermon, they were not prepared for the tenacious efforts of the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital and the Louis Trichardt SPCA to seek justice.

During the Sunday sermon at the Potters House Word Church on the 16th of July 2023 in Tshilwavhusiku, Limpopo, congregation members Justice Makushu, Albert Mushiana and Constable Tshililo Mugada, operating under the instruction of Mudau, used a pole to hit a fledgling barn owl off a roof, pin it to the floor and captured it.

The young owl was then brought into the church and Mudau, holding the bird up by its wings, declared to the congregation that the owl was evil.
Madau then held the owl to the floor in a vice like grip, shaking it repeatedly while his assistants poured oil and salt into the animals eyes.

This abuse was filmed, live streamed from the church and later posted again on the pastor’s own page.

The Louis Trichardt SPCA were advised not to bother attempting to prosecute, but Senior Inspector Lawrence Khodobo believed that a church pastor not only condoning, but actively participating in premeditated animal cruelty, was something he just couldn't ignore.

He contacted the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital who agreed with him whole heartedly, and promplty provided him with the support and subject matter expert reports that the SPCA needed to lay charges in terms of the Limpopo Environmental Management Act, No 7 of 2003 and the Animals Protection Act, No 71 of 1962.

Getting this case to court became an epic battle with constant apathy and docket interference forcing State Prosecutor M. Janse van Rensburg and the complainants to seek assistance from the Polokwane Directors of Public Prosecutions.

The merit of the case was recognised and Senior State Advocate TSJ. Bekwa from the environmental crimes unit was assigned the case and took up the fight to bring the case to court.

In the face of the evidence against the accused and the punishment sentences they could be handed down if found guilty in a trial, the four accused chose to plead guilty.
A plea agreement was entered into by all parties late on the 10th of October which resulted in the pastor and two of his co accused being sentenced to a combined R35 000 or 24 months imprisonment each!
The sentence was suspended only on condition that the accused do not contravene any section of either Act again and that they pay the R22,500 damages incurred by the SPCA in mitigating the terrible misconception about owls that the church had spread far and wide. The accused were also denied care, custody or control of all wild animals in the future.

The capture and torture of this innocent animal were carried out for nothing more than entertainment, as a prop to garner popularity and gain likes. We sincerely applaud the members of the congregation and the online public who spoke out against this atrocity, you too own this win.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Prosecutor Janse van Rensburg and Advocate Bekwa, you fought like tigers ladies! SPCA Louis Trichardt you are an absolute inspiration, such a small SPCA, true animal warriors accomplishing so much with so little.

The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa

10/10/2024

Injured urban otter rescued.

A severely injured and partially paralyzed otter was spotted in the Jukskei River and clearly in desperate need of urgent assistance - please note that some of the photos are not for sensitive viewers.

Rescue efforts were initially delayed when someone used a dog to try and track and capture the otter which drove the terrified animal away from where it had originally found saftey.

On Wednesday afternoon a small team from Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital met up with the Steyn City Estate Manager, Pienaar Papenfus, and they proceeded to where the otter had been spotted again. The complete dedication of this group of people to the task at hand was humbling, and the otter was caught, immediately sedated by Dr Peta-Danielle Muller-Deibicht and transported to the hospital.

The male otter had grievous injuries. Radiographs revealed a broken spine (the callous around the bones indicated that this injury was many weeks old) which had caused complete paralysis of the otter's hindlimbs. The prolonged dragging of his hindlegs had caused extensive injuries that had exposed muscle, tissue and bone.
Its always sad when a rescue does not have the end result we would like (the animal being able to be returned to the wild), but in this case it was a blessing to just be able to gently end this animal’s suffering.

We are so incredibly proud of this rescue team who combined compassion and professionalism to assist this animal who was in such desperate need.

Please support our efforts.
We are a non-profit facility and the only way we can keep making a difference is by funding from our community and like minded animal lovers.

Please make a donation by clicking on the following link:
https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html