Radford twins and their animal ‘farm’
The Menagerie could do with some donations as taking care of a variety of animals is costly since they have different diet needs.
IF you have a love for animals, maybe it’s about time you pay the the Radford twin sisters a visit, Fiona and Naomi have taken in more than 100 animals into their care for over 35 years.
Fiona and Naomi from Hillary started a public beneficiary organisation, The Menageri to spread the word on different species and house rescued ones.
“We used to working at museum in Durban educating children on different animals. People especially street children started bringing in animals they found around and we would educate them on how to take care of those animals,” said Fiona.
In their lessons, they allow the children to touch and feel the animals and also teach them about some hazards of picking up dangerous creatures like snakes.
“We never had formal training, we learn by taking care of different animals,” they stated.
They have more than 100 animals in their care from wood owls, tortoises, hamsters, lizards, snakes, birds, dogs, cats, rabbits, goats and sheep.
“When we take some of these animals in, most of the time they need medical attention, when the tortoise came in, its shell was painted which meant it couldn’t breathe well as it breathes through its shell, we had to delicately remove the paint to save its life,” said Fiona.
The Menagerie could do with some donations as taking care of a variety of animals is costly since they have different diet needs.
“We also have vet fees to pay for as we take the animals health very seriously,” said Naomi.
The 52 year-old sisters cannot take in any more animals as their funds are running low and have limited space. Cats and dogs usually get adopted by people in the neighbourhood but some animals will probably stay with them forever.
They travel to under privileged communities in their run down bakkie, transporting animals to educate communities about the animals around them, helping them take better care of them and also safe-guarding themselves against the dangerous ones.
“We have been using this bakkie for decades and are desperate for a new one, we have knocked on many doors but bear no fruits,” said Naomi.
The sisters can be contacted on 081 351 6692.
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