AS baby season is making its way to the centre, CROW Clinic Nurse, Sue-Ann Shutte, has her hands full with four baby genets.
The energetic youngsters who are all Large Spotted Genets (Genetta tigrine) between the ages of one to three weeks-old, have found their way to the centre after being rescued from different locations around Durban.
All four babies are currently getting round the clock care from Sue, their surrogate mother who has the full-time job of juggling two hourly bottle feeds for her little litter. Despite the obvious sleep deprivation that comes with such a demanding job, Sue maintains that the long hours coupled with the lack of sleep will all be worth it once these youngsters have gained the strength and independence needed to fend for themselves in the wild.
“Hand-rearing any wild animal is definitely not an effortless achievement, but the sense of fulfilment when releasing a rescued wild animal is what keeps you going on a daily basis,” she said.
The genets currently in Sue’s care will be released once they are able to find food and defend themselves in their natural habitat. Since they have been admitted to CROW, they have doubled in weight and begun to bond with their new brothers and sisters.
The total cost to feed the four little babies’ specialised milk formula will equal to a little over R700 a month.
As they mature and grow, moving away from milk formula, they will be introduced to a more suited and natural feeds so as to mimic their natural diet.
If you would like to help the CROW team care for these and other Spring orphans, you can contact them directly on 031 462 1127 or at info@crowkzn.co.za, or visit www.crowkzn.co.za to see other ways to get involved.
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