Wildlife rescue in the Klein Karoo
Where is the Karoo Wildlife Centre
CACH has purchased and developed 175 hectare property about 15 kilometres outside of Ladismith in the Western Province in South Africa. Together with Lesley's adjacent horse rescue centre, the consolidated property measures 250 hectares.
Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/Ydx4g
GPS Co-ordinates: -33.555744, 21.168468
Directions coming from George on N2.
Drive on the N2 all the way to Riversdale. Turn right into the town and cross the railway line.
When you have gone half way through the town you will see the left hand turn to Ladismith. (do not drive straight through and go out the other side of the town)
Go straight up through the beautiful Garcia pass and about half an hour later, you'll come to a T junction which is at the R62.
Turn right onto the R62.
The next road left is the Laingsburg road. Turn left onto this road.
Directions coming from Cape Town
Take the R 62 through Worcester, Robertson, Montague and Barry dale. About 10 km short of Ladismith, turn left onto the Laingsburg road.
Once on the Laingsburg road
About 5 and a half kilometres you will come to a farm gate on the left hand side (opposite a small pale green house) (if you go over the little bridge over the Klein Swart small river you have gone too far)
There is a Flag pole (no flag) and small white name board which says Karoo Wildlife Centre.
Turn left on to the access road. The gate is locked over weekends so you’ll have to phone us before you get there so that we have time to get down and unlock the gate for you. Satellite phone 087 809 0071.
You will go through 2 farm gates, which are not normally locked on weekdays
Follow the road past the first farm house, go through the gate signposted ‘ Karoo Wildlife Centre’ and you will see the house up on the hill across the valley to the left of all the green water tanks.
Our mission
How will we fund the Centre?
Tragically, Bev died from cancer on 30th April, 2016, and the planned volunteer program died with her. But now CACH is offering a unique experience for volunteers - an opportunity for animal lovers who really want to make a difference.
Wildlife advocacy course for Volunteers
Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH for short) - is kicking off 2019 by introducing a 3-night real-time course on animal advocacy at its Karoo Wildlife Centre near Ladismith, a four-hour drive from Cape Town. (The proposed 7-day course has been shortened)
"The hunting industry is always ahead of the game, because it works unceasingly at a policy level with law makers to promote the narrative that hunting is conservation,” says Chris Mercer, Director and founder of CACH. "This, while we anti-canned hunting supporters march around town with placards to a vaguely curious audience. Online petitions are ineffective. It’s clear that animal advocates need to be better informed, better trained and more strategic.”
Chris will deliver daily talks on the subjects listed below. The course is designed to empower animal advocates to engage knowledgeably and convincingly in the great debate on whether hunting is conservation; to rebut the arguments of pro-hunting propaganda and to work effectively to bring an end to trophy hunting.
Mercer, a retired lawyer and founder of the Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH), has used his legal experience to campaign against the highly unethical practice of canned lion hunting since the practice hit the headlines 20 years ago on ITV’s acclaimed The Cook Report.
Content for animal advocacy course
Comfortable in-house accommodation and all meals will be provided. Course participants will have plenty of leisure time to roam over the sanctuary’s 250 hectares of fynbos wilderness. They may hike through the surrounding hills, star-gaze the Karoo sky, receive instruction from Lesley on horse communication, and help with sanctuary tasks.
https://www.facebook.com/karoowildlife/
Ladismith town is a twenty minute drive away, and has all facilities; chemist, shops, supermarket, restaurants, doctors and hospital.
For more information contact Chris at [email protected].
Join us on Facebook
We'll keep you updated on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/karoowildlife
Our mission
- To establish a centre which will be able to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured and orphaned birds and wild animals which are endemic to the Klein Karoo.
- Internally funded breeding and release programs of designated endangered or threatened species, such as a vulture breeding program.
- Employment creation within local communities.
- Development of conservation education programs. Specifically, the new course on animal advocacy being offered by CACH director Chris Mercer..
- Promotion and use of alternative energy (solar) as a sustainable power resource.
How will we fund the Centre?
Tragically, Bev died from cancer on 30th April, 2016, and the planned volunteer program died with her. But now CACH is offering a unique experience for volunteers - an opportunity for animal lovers who really want to make a difference.
Wildlife advocacy course for Volunteers
Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH for short) - is kicking off 2019 by introducing a 3-night real-time course on animal advocacy at its Karoo Wildlife Centre near Ladismith, a four-hour drive from Cape Town. (The proposed 7-day course has been shortened)
"The hunting industry is always ahead of the game, because it works unceasingly at a policy level with law makers to promote the narrative that hunting is conservation,” says Chris Mercer, Director and founder of CACH. "This, while we anti-canned hunting supporters march around town with placards to a vaguely curious audience. Online petitions are ineffective. It’s clear that animal advocates need to be better informed, better trained and more strategic.”
Chris will deliver daily talks on the subjects listed below. The course is designed to empower animal advocates to engage knowledgeably and convincingly in the great debate on whether hunting is conservation; to rebut the arguments of pro-hunting propaganda and to work effectively to bring an end to trophy hunting.
Mercer, a retired lawyer and founder of the Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH), has used his legal experience to campaign against the highly unethical practice of canned lion hunting since the practice hit the headlines 20 years ago on ITV’s acclaimed The Cook Report.
Content for animal advocacy course
- Overview of the hunting industry, how it works in South Africa, how why and when lion farming for canned lion hunting began.
- State capture - how the hunting industry controls conservation structures in South Africa.
- The importance of raising awareness of canned hunting and its spin-offs, including cub petting and the lion bone trade.
- Why raising awareness is not enough in itself.
- The need to rise to the policy level in order to secure a ban.
- Strategies that work and those that don’t.
- Why CITES is worse than useless.
Comfortable in-house accommodation and all meals will be provided. Course participants will have plenty of leisure time to roam over the sanctuary’s 250 hectares of fynbos wilderness. They may hike through the surrounding hills, star-gaze the Karoo sky, receive instruction from Lesley on horse communication, and help with sanctuary tasks.
https://www.facebook.com/karoowildlife/
Ladismith town is a twenty minute drive away, and has all facilities; chemist, shops, supermarket, restaurants, doctors and hospital.
For more information contact Chris at [email protected].
Join us on Facebook
We'll keep you updated on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/karoowildlife