Steven’s weighted walk for urban wildlife

DONNING a diving suit from the 1900’s, which weighs close to 70kgs, makes mobility underwater incredibly tough. Walking on terra-firma with said weight is even harder. A Durban North resident is attempting to walk 6km from Blue Lagoon to uShaka Marine World to raise awareness and funds for Monkey Helpline on Sunday, 28 June (starting at 7am).

Steven Entwistle, 39, originally from Coventry and a member of the British Royal Navy, said his walk was inspired by the plight of Durban’s urban wildlife. The funds raised will be used to build a new monkey rehabilitation centre to be run by the NPO.

“When I was growing up I had posters of African wildlife on my wall, and I would often look for snails, small fish and newts in the canals around Coventry, England. I also always loved visiting my grandparents, who lived in the countryside. I was lucky to travel the world in the Royal Navy and got to see nature on land and out at sea.

“When I met my wife and settled down in Durban, I also got to see how lucky people here were, with monkeys, duiker, mongooses and other wildlife literally in their backyards. It also opened my eyes to the cruelty and the plight that urban wildlife around the city face, specifically monkeys. Animal rescue volunteers give selflessly and rely on donations from the public to help them in their jobs, and I wanted to do something to highlight their incredible giving nature,” he said.

Entwistle also donned the diving suit last year to raise funds for the Thula Thula Game Reserve. He walked up the 500 steps of the Moses Mabhida arch walkway with the weighted suit.

“It’s going to be a challenge, both mentally and physically. The helmet alone weighs 22 kilograms and the iron boots weigh about five kilograms each. It’s definitely going to be slow, but I’m determined to complete the challenge.

“During last year’s walk up the archway, there were moments when I felt strong and others when I felt weak. So I have my work cut out for me,” he explained.

The Lothian Road resident found the suit in Johannesburg when conceptualising the idea. Entwistle said, while he hoped to raise as much as possible for Monkey Helpline, his other aim was to raise awareness.

“Everybody talks about educating the masses, but even the educated need to be educated. Vervet monkeys are quite a heated subject, but the bottom line is their habitat is being destroyed. I understand the human race needs to progress, but we need to acknowledge that we are destroying the vegetation these animals rely on for survival.

“I have been out with Monkey Helpline on many rescues and it shocks me every time how cruel us humans can be to our wildlife. There seems to be a disconnect between some people and wildlife. We need each other to survive. Imagine the difference we could all make to our urban wildlife,” he said.

To help with the project, visit www.monkeyhelpline.co.za or www.givengain.com. Donations can also be made on the day.