Monkey farm at risk of being closed due to pandemic
“All of it is such a mess. We are still not at a total selfsustainable level and very close to a complete shutdown.”
The situation at the Bambelela Wildlife Care and Vervet Monkey Rehabilitation Centre between Modimolle and Bela-Bela has become critical due to lack of resources in order to keep the centre open and its nimble inhabitants fed.
“We are technically bankrupt. We have had no income for the past six months and far too few bookings over the past four weeks. The Covid-19-pandemic left us worrying how to pay bills and to keep the centre running with the priority to keep feeding the animals in our care,” Silke von Eyern, Bambelela founder, told The Post.
The centre was established in 2003 and currently takes care of over 500 different monkey species. Throughout the years the farm drew quite an extensive amount of attention for its conservation work and its tourism qualities.
However, Covid-19 placed a damper on it all. As a safety precaution the centre decided that, due to the spread of the virus, visitors’ interaction with the species had to be stopped for the time being. Because of this safety measure, the day visitors’ tally have declined and the centre lost their income.
Von Eyern said they are experiencing constant issues to source food for the animals. Local supermarkets have been supplying the centre with food, but the hands to feed the animals have also declined. The reason being that restrictions were placed on overseas volunteers coming to South Africa.
These youngsters played an integral part in the caring of the animals.
“I have no more staff and only two volunteers at present — one from Gauteng and the other from Denmark. They receive free boarding and lodging and a reduced stipend. The rest of our volunteer beds have been empty since March.”
Although government recently lifted bans on international flights, countries like Germany recently warned travellers to avoid South Africa, due to the sudden rise in Covid-19-cases, said Von Eyern. She is also from German descent.
“Most volunteers who were booked are waiting for next year between April and July. We have missed the main season for volunteers in June and July this year.”
She said that she is thinking of selling the property, but a lifelong project with your heart and soul in it, and with the conservation being an integral part of her daily existence, she is praying for a miracle.
“All of it is such a mess. We are still not at a total selfsustainable level and very close to a complete shutdown.” “It is a miracle that we have made it until now. We survived mainly due to fundraisers which, unfortunately, are also drying up fast. The whole world has changed. Our needs, finding release sites to give freedom to the monkeys who are ready to live free and to reduce our overheads, remain huge challenges.”
Anyone who is willing to make a contribution to keep the centre up and running and to keep the animals happy and cared for, can lodge an enquiry with Belinda Langlois by phoning her on tel. 071 360 2113.
