Annual Report 2014
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 THE BEST CAGE IS AN EMPTY CAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS A Brief Overview ............................................................. 1 The CROW Team ............................................................. 3 Chairman’s Report ........................................................... 4 Director’s Report .............................................................. 6 CROW Clinic Report ........................................................ 8 Rescue ..................................................................... 8 Rehabilitate .............................................................. 10 Release .................................................................... 12 A New Generation of Wildlife Warriors ............................. 14 Fundraising and Marketing Report....................................... 16 CROW in the Spotlight ...................................................... 18 CROW’s Major Donors and Partners ................................... 20 Help us make a Difference ................................................. 22 CROW Annual Report 2013-2014 Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus) A BRIEF OVERVIEW Run by a small, yet highly dedicated team of staff and volunteers, CROW is currently the only wildlife rehabilitation centre in South Africa that is registered to work with all injured, orphaned and displaced wildlife including all TOPS (Threatened or Protected) species in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Founded over 34 years From mongoose, genets and baboons to raptors and reptiles, ago, CROW rescues, CROW represents a second chance at a free, safe and sustainable rehabilitates and releases life for thousands of wild animals every year. As a registered Non-Profit and Public Benefit organisation that currently receives no over 3000 wild animals governmental subsidies, CROW relies solely on donations from the in distress every year. public to provide its life-saving services. “When we return wild animals to nature, we merely return to them what is already theirs. For man cannot give wild animals freedom, they can only take it away.” Jacques Cousteau CROW Annual Report 2013-2014 1 VISION CROW’s vision is to be an independent, pioneering force in the rehabilitation and conservation of injured and orphaned wildlife, while promoting the preservation of their natural habitat. MISSION CROW is committed to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned wildlife and believes in action and education with regards to the protection of all natural resources. VALUES As a registered and reputable wildlife rehabilitation centre, CROW strives to uphold the following values in all areas of its work: • Honesty • Integrity • Professionalism • Compassion • Commitment 2 CROW Annual Report 2013-2014 THE CROW TEAM Board of Trustees: Executive Committee: Mr Guy Hamlin (Chairman) Mrs Claire Maclachlan (Chairlady) Councillor Billie Prinsloo Mrs Caren Martin (Vice-Chair) Advocate Andrea Gabriel Councillor Billie Prinsloo Miss Mbali Ntuli (elected November 2013) Mr Derek Airey (elected November 2013) Dr Helena Fitchat Mr Marius Van Rooyen (resigned November 2013) Mrs Yvette Taylor Ms Thina Siwendu (elected November 2013) Staff: Claire Hodgkinson (Director) Cyril Zuma (Workshop Manager) Mabel Watts (Operations & Primate Manager) Sanele Madladla (Grounds staff) Paul Hoyte (Marketing & Comms Officer) David Mdidiswa (Grounds staff) Estie Allan (Clinic Manager) Pleasure Nene (Grounds staff) Sue-Ann Shutte (Clinic Nurse) Nono Duba (Grounds staff) Kelly Wilyman (Clinic Nurse) Gloria Mthethwa (Grounds staff) Chelsea Kruck (Junior Clinic Assistant) Janet Ngwenya (Grounds staff) Monique Deme (Clinic Receptionist) Asanda Bokwe (Grounds staff) Michael Madladla (Driver) CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Following the many changes and new faces that 2012 brought to CROW’s management and staff compliment, I am pleased to report that the past 12 months has proved far less disruptive and have therefore allowed our team to knuckle down and steer our organisation onto a more positive and exciting path Most importantly and as it should be, it is our wildlife that has ultimately benefited from the CROW teams’ hard work and commitment. Tangible highlights have included the building having on our local environment and wildlife, of several new rehabilitation enclosures at the to teaching children the correct steps to follow CROW centre, the much needed refurbishment if they come across a wild animal in distress, of CROW’s Clinic thanks to the proceeds CROW’s Wildlife Warriors programme is raised from Under an African Sky’s 2014 undeniably contributing towards the African Sentiments calendar campaign and of development of a much more environmentally- course, the much anticipated release of conscious and proactive generation of South CROW’s latest troops of rehabilitated chacma Africans. As a firm believer in the value of baboons and vervet monkeys that took place education, I cannot stress how important this in November and December 2013 area of CROW’s work is to the long-term respectively. conservation and preservation of our country’s natural heritage. I am also particularly pleased that CROW’s rebranded environmental education In addition to CROW’s staff and our many programme, Wildlife Warriors has come on in dedicated volunteers, I would like to humbly leaps and bounds over the past year to the thank all the other members of CROW’s extent that the number of local children now extended family, including our many partners, participating in the programme, has increased donors and friends across the country and exponentially. From demonstrating the abroad who continue to support us and make devastating impact that litter and pollution is CROW’s timely work possible. 4 CROW Annual Report 2013-2014 Last, but by no means least, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to my fellow Trustees and to Claire Maclachlan and her Executive Committee whose selfless dedication and commitment has truly been a pillar of strength for CROW over the past year. As ever, I would like to urge everyone that reads this report to get involved and do what they can to help us conserve and protect our indigenous wildlife. Be it through supporting one of our numerous fundraising campaigns and events or the giving of your time or skills, each and every one of us can contribute and make a positive difference. Now more than ever, our wildlife is counting on us. Guy Hamlin Chairman of CROW’s Board of Trustees. CROW 2013-2014 Annual Report 5 DIRECTOR’S REPORT The past year has seen CROW’s newly formed team work together to improve and expand its core services as well as re-establish its hard-earned and much deserved reputation as one of South Africa’s leading wildlife rehabilitation centres. The development of a brand new website, Facebook page and marketing materials as well as a revival in terms of its public relations and media coverage has not only had a positive impact on our organisation’s numerous fundraising initiatives, but has also served to give our entire team a renewed sense of pride and purpose in its work. Thanks to the support and guidance of CROW’s partnerships with likeminded organisations and Executive Committee and Board of Trustees, as service providers such as the Natal Falconry well as the extraordinary hard work and Club, Rubio Communications and King Kroell determination of CROW’s new Marketing and that through the voluntary donation of their skills Communications Officer, Paul Hoyte the and expertise have made a substantial organisation has made significant progress over contribution to moving the organisation forward. the past year in growing its donor base while at the same time tightening its belt in the face of an Finally, I would like to thank CROW’s tenacious increasingly difficult fundraising climate. Clinic team who under the leadership of the organsiation’s long-serving Clinic Manager, On the ground, there have also been many Estie Allan has once again gone above and achievements for the organisation such as the beyond to ensure that each and every animal upgrading of its facilities, the updating of its that comes through CROW’s doors is afforded operating polices and processes as well as the the very best care and treatment. On behalf of streamlining of its overall approach to all our patients that cannot speak for themselves, overcoming the daily challenges of running an and the second chance at a free life that they so extremely demanding and resource-intensive deserve. On behalf of all our patients that operation, often on a shoestring. cannot speak for themselves, I would like to humbly thank Estie and her Clinic team for A key achievement in this regard has been the continually inspiring us all to make a difference. proactive development of several new Claire Hodgkinson Director 6 CROW Annual Report 2013-2014 Claire Hodgkinson Director Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo) CROW CLINIC REPORT Another very worrying statistic was the growing number of cases whereby all manner of wild RESCUE animals were rescued out of the hands of those The CROW Clinic had yet another busy year trying to make a quick profit by selling them with 3027 sick, injured, orphaned and either on the side of our province’s roads or displaced animals being rescued and admitted online. From duikers and mongoose to vervet to the CROW centre between April 2013 and monkeys and tortoises, KwaZulu-Natal’s March 2014. (113 more than the previous indigenous wildlife is increasingly being year.) Of these admissions, 1969 animals viewed as nothing more