Africa Wild

This might be worth reading, it's just a small piece from our monthly newsletter. It is to do with the scrutiny and future of such sanctuaries. This is only a portion of the report...

The research outcome has been structured as a practical and interactive tool to evaluate facilities and
select ethical animal interactions and whether there is any conservation value in having the facility. I
am sure that over the next few years all the so-called sanctuaries and rehab centres in South Africa and
the Lowveld (Care for Wild, Chimp Eden, Elephant Sanctuary, Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre,

Moholoholo, SanWild and C.A.R.E, to name a few in the Lowveld that are familiar to me) will be scruti-
nised. “Organisations may call themselves a sanctuary and/or rehabilitation centre – this does not

mean that they are a genuine facility”, according to the SATSA report.
By following the SATSA evaluation tool the following are some of the questions that they will have to
answer:
 “Does the facility practice ALL the criteria for a true sanctuary or rehabilitation centre?
 Are the rehabilitation programmes recognised and/or supervised by a credible organisation with

experience in animal rehabilitation and is there evidence that animals will be used for repopula-
tion, relocated, re-integrated or re-wilded?

 Is the species really endangered or threatened (check the latest Threatened or Protected Species
(“TOPS”) list)?
 Is there any indication of: misleading advertising, deceptive behaviour, lack of transparency?
 Do the animals need to be in captivity – can they be rehabilitated and released back into the
wild?
 Have all avenues for rehabilitation and/or re-wilding been considered?
 Are the animals being kept in captivity only to support a volunteering programme?”
Recent research has shown that there is no conservation value in breeding lions and tigers in captivity
in South Africa (Williams & Sas-Rolfes, 2019) and it can be assumed that this argument is valid for many
other species. Rehabilitation back into the wild of larger species such as lions, elephants, baboons and
many others, is also extremely problematic.
The question needs to be asked whether the same kind of effort and funds will not contribute better to
the conservation of these animals if it is used to protect natural habitats for such animals, especially
where animals have not been classified as Threatened Or Protected Species (TOPS) according to our
Biodiversity Act.

The document was compiled by Dr Freek Venter.

Good summary!

very much! To you too Klippie

Somebody else is asking my same questions

These will never return to their natural habitat, they are hand reared farm animals.






There are some orphaned rhino released back into the wild by Ezemvelo, so it works if you do it properly.

Care for Wild are absolute pioneers in the field, for a decade, and were approached by Kruger Park straight away. No point in comparing them to canned lion breeding, for heaven's sake!

Who are the "experts" that are trying to evaluate the experts?

Richprins wrote: ↑Sat Apr 18, 2020 4:42 pm Care for Wild are absolute pioneers in the field, for a decade, and were approached by Kruger Park straight away. No point in comparing them to canned lion breeding, for heaven's sake!

Who are the "experts" that are trying to evaluate the experts?

So many so called experts who think they know everything

Rhino sanctuary receives fully funded off-grid solar system
May 16, 2021


Image: Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary

Bright Light Solar and Sectional Title Solutions (STS) Group is casting light onto conservation by donating a fully funded off-grid solar and battery storage solution for Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary.

Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary (CFWRS), based on in Mpumalanga, South Africa, is the largest orphan rhino sanctuary in the world.

Environmental stewardship is a longstanding focus for Bright Light Solar and the STS Group of companies, and they are both thrilled to collaborate with the sanctuary in this solar energy system feature.


The threatening situation of deforestation, climate change and the poaching scourge has left and continues to leave behind young, defenseless, orphaned Rhino. Bright Light Solar, in conjunction with the STS Group, has stepped in to ensure the sustainability of one of the world’s largest specialised Rhino conservation facilities with a completely off-grid solar PV implementation that will cater for the sanctuary’s day to day power and water necessities.

The array will be fully operational from June 2021 and will generate a power saving of a whopping 41,760 kilowatt per hour of electricity each year. The sanctuary was previously running a combination of expensive generators coupled with a small but inefficient solar and battery solution.

Due to unpredictable fluctuating costs of fuel and not being eco-friendly, the setup was unsustainable. The 26.1kW solar PV system donated by Bright Light Solar and the STS Group consists of 58 x 450Wp panels on an existing workshop roof and a 59.2kWh battery solution.

Michael Faber, director of Bright Light Solar, says: “By helping protect rhinos, we’re helping to conserve their habitat for the benefit of people and other wildlife, making sure natural resources are available for generations to come. Solar is the obvious choice when wanting to cut back on costs while contributing to the green economy and using solar for the direct benefit of the conservation of rhinos is a no brainer.”

Petronel Nieuwoudt, Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary Founder and CEO, said: “We are in the last minute of the last hour to save the planet. We must put nature at the front of every decision we make.

“Through the renewable energy of solar, provided by the STS Group and Bright Light Solar, we can move another step closer in our responsibility to protect mother earth for future generations. Good partnerships like this help us to reach our goals and achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. This is very exciting for us.”


This massive undertaking will roll out in a phased approach. The first phase of the implementation, focusing on the house and office areas, commenced with the delivery of a 45kVA 3phase fully insulated container integrated with the existing 45kVA generator complete with cooling, lighting, filtered vents and complemented with eight 7.4kWh free issue batteries.

The second phase of the implementation will focus on the actual Rhino pens, Bright Light Solar will install a 5kVA phase one enclosure system complimented by two 7,4kWh in two off wall cabinets.

The team will build a carport structure that will house twelve 450Wp modules integrated into a generator for low state of charge (SOC) assist. For lighting, eight 4.8m height street poles will be erected, complete with PV modules, 20W LED flood, charge controller, lithium battery and RF/PIR/manual switching sensor.


Post the arrays in the Rhino pen, the team, will relocate and upgrade the existing system, which entails the decommissioning and moving of the modules to the entrance gate and guardhouse, remounting modules on the corrugated roof short rail structure with the existing AC/DC equipment and new batteries, and lastly reconfiguration and firmware updates before recommissioning.

The last phase of the implementation, which is the most significant, is the installation of 24 450Wp modules to 10.8kWp on a ground mount structure, connected to a 7,5kW drive and integrated with the generator for the water pump.

Johnny Wates, CEO of STS, said: “We’re passionate about solar and the benefits it has for our country and the planet. We see choosing solar over conventional energy solutions as a “win win win” scenario where you get to cut costs while contributing positively to the environment – leaving a lasting green legacy for future generations to enjoy. Future generations inherit all the results of the decisions we make today, playing our part to conserve one of the Big five for future generations is an honour.”

Originally published on esi-africa.com

https://www.powerengineeringint.com/dec ... 1neTECS8bs

Well done & thank you to Bright Light Solar and the STS Group