Community Impact
COMMUNITY OUTREACH LIES CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS.
We are passionate about enriching our community and the natural world around us.
We have worked closely with the SPCA, have an ongoing Raptor and Wildlife Programme with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and we provide veterinary assistance to our community when it’s needed the most.
In an effort to conserve our environment, we offer a variety of services to our community and certain entities either for free or at a discounted rate.
Almost all raptor cases coming through our clinic require immediate intensive care.
For us to continue to assist these animals, we need your help. We offer all our services for FREE, but we need funds to cover medicines in these special cases.
If you would like to help, our banking details are as follows:
Kimberley Veterinary Clinic
Bank: ABSA
Account Number: 407 890 5664
Branch Code: 632005
Reference: Raptor Fund
This will allow us to continue to provide the very best medical care we can give, with the help of our community. Your donations allow us to keep saving these very important birds.
Having previously won the annual Gariep Raptor Conservationist Award for assisting in the conservation of endangered species, we pride ourselves in our mission to make our natural surroundings a better place for all these amazing animals.
Protecting forever, together!
Learn More by Clicking on the images below;
Check out some of what we’ve accomplished so far!
Tank the Tortoise
Our patient of the week, Tank the Tortoise. This little guy is an absolute fighter, even though he’s smaller than a 2ml syringe!
Tank is a Leopard Tortoise.
Although Leopard Tortoises live a long time in captivity, they seldom thrive! In fact, they slowly become anorexic and nutritionally deficient and, unfortunately, their owners rarely notice because of their shell.
The reason they become nutrient-deficient is that, in the wild, they are highly selective feeders and eat exactly what they need to maintain optimal health!
What they are fed in captivity is very rarely correct or sufficient.
Holy Ground
“There’s something special about it. I can’t explain it. But once you see this magical creature, you’ll know. To be able to follow her, to protect her, help her, is a feeling that cannot be described. It’s like walking on Holy ground.”
Most people you know have never seen a living pangolin. Most people don’t even know what a pangolin is. Also known as ‘the scaly anteater’, pangolins are often confused with reptiles, but is actually the only mammal entirely covered in scales.
While these creatures are elusive and not much is known about them, one thing we do know is that they are currently the most trafficked mammal in the world. More than 1 million pangolins have been poached during the last decade.
The Miracle Martial Eagle
Why Are Vultures So Important?
What would happen to the world if vultures went extinct?
The short answer – Chaos. Vultures play an invaluable part within our fragile ecosystem. They are one of the world’s most efficient clean-up crews.
Their value has been widely underestimated and is largely unappreciated.
The disastrous decline of vulture populations in Africa and Asia has caused alarm. It is feared the devastating loss will lead to the spread of deadly old and new diseases, including plague, anthrax, and rabies.
Featherhead, the Verreaux’s Eagle
Early February 2021, our clinic was visited by Ronelle Visagie, from the Endangered Wildlife Trust, with an ill Verreaux’s Eagle. She had driven all the way to De Aar to fetch the injured bird.
After having taken radiographs, we had found no broken bones, but the eagle could not open it’s right foot or stand upright. In order to stop further contraction of the foot, we wrapped it around a rather large tennis ball!
