Animal rehab centre appeals for ‘kindness’ this week
From 6 to 12 May every year is National Be Kind To Animals Week.
THIS week be kind to animals because until Friday it’s National Be Kind To Animals Week. Celebrated annually from the 6 to 12 May, it is a time to rejoice our love for animals and to remember the importance of empathy towards our animals.
“All animals require love, care and sympathy, but it is easier to give it to a pet than wildlife animals. This love can be expressed to pets by a simple cuddle, but with wildlife animals, we must minimise human exposure to avoid animals getting imprinted on people,” said Chandré de Bruyn, spokesperson the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW).
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This year alone, The Fundimelo Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage was forced to shut its doors after it was unable to recover after a brutal poaching attack in February. While last month the Constitutional Court dismissed the Department of Environmental Affairs’ effort to keep the rhino horn trade illegal in the country.
ALSO READ: Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage to close its doors
With habitat destruction continuing to be a major factor in the endangerment of wildlife species, it also causes an increase in contact between animals and humans. This rise in interaction often times leads to violence such as the many reports this year of monkey shootings and troops being found dead from poisoning.
WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: Several monkeys shot in La Lucia and uMhlanga
CROW is appealing to people to consider being to animals not only this week but rather to help them every day of the year. These include driving slowly in areas where animals are known to cross the road, keeping the environment clean, calling CROW or your local SPCA when you see an animal in distress, and not feeding the animals.
The Durban-based non-profit organisation rescues, rehabilitates and releases over 4000 orphaned, injured and displaced wild animals in KwaZulu-Natal every year.
