A tiny scream pierced the air as our rescue team rushed through a violent summer storm in South Africa.
On the ground lay a newborn genet — a small, cat-like wild mammal — with its umbilical cord still attached. Its eyes were closed, and its mother gone. Without immediate help, this little life had no chance of survival.
Imagine the terror this newborn must have felt — fresh from the womb, still blind, and utterly alone. Fortunately for the little genet, our team was able to help.
This newborn genet was found abandoned in a violent storm with its umbilical cord still attached. Thanks to our partner, it is receiving the critical support it needs. Credit: FFW
This year, there are more animals in need than ever before.
Sadly, this story is all too common in South Africa where wildlife habitats and human settlements often overlap.
Each summer, wildfires, vehicle strikes, habitat destruction and intensified hunting tear mother animals from their babies. In the illegal traditional medicine trade, adult animals are killed for their body parts, leaving infants behind.
A lucky few survive long enough to be rushed to our partner, Friends of Free Wildlife, barely clinging to life.
Each month, our partner rescues and rehabilitates animals, including orphaned mongooses like this one. Credit: FFW
Among the most vulnerable rescues are:
- Bushbabies, some weighing as little as one ounce (28 grams)
- Baby bats, torn from their mothers
- Newborn hedgehogs, no bigger than your palm and completely defenceless
- A blue duiker – a threatened type of antelope heavily hunted for the traditional medicine trade, even though it is protected under South African law
The lives of fragile wild animals hang in the balance, like (L-R) newborn bush babies and hedgehogs, and this threatened blue duiker. Credit: FFW (Left and right) and EyeEm Mobile GmbH (Centre)
We urgently need to raise $2,000 (£1,500) to complete a vital upgrade to our partner’s veterinary clinic.
As more and more animals need help, our partner is trying as hard as it can to help these fragile infants. Their survival depends entirely on rapid rescue — and on compassionate supporters like you..
To cope, our partner urgently needs to get more equipment for its clinic.
Priorities are:
- Heating pads and incubator boxes for newborns who cannot regulate their body temperature
- Infrared lamps to stabilise fragile infants
- Isolation units to prevent deadly infections
- Basic medical tools needed for emergency neonatal care
Your donation can make the difference between life and death for orphaned wild animals. Credit: FFW
Your donation will help provide warmth, sterile treatment, feeding support, burn care, and medical intervention for tiny bodies fighting to survive.
Quite simply, your kindness could mean the difference between life and death.
With your support, these helpless orphans can grow stronger — and one day return to the wild where they belong.
