Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Durban

Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Durban

Almost every child who has been schooled in Durban will have, at some time, paid a visit to CROW or the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Durban. The centre is situated in Yellowwood Park and is principally a hospital that looks after the injured and orphaned wild animals and birds in KwaZulu-Natal, most of them (as many as 90%) because of human negligence.

Rehabilitation takes time for those animals that don't remain with CROW, whilst those who are being rehabilitated are placed in enclosures as close to their natural environment as possible, and as far from human contact or activity as possible. And not all animals recover.

One of these is Sunshine, a red-fronted brown lemur, smuggled into the country a few months before she found her way to CROW, semi-conscious. Not only was Sunshine an exotic animal, but she was also disabled, and her furture welfare obviously tenuous, due mainly to the fact that there was nowhere for her to be 'returned'.

Ten years later, Sunshine is still with CROW, as once ready for rehabilitation, after much debate as to where she would be housed (CROW is not licenced as a zoo) it was decided that it was in her best interests to remain where she was.

When to Visit?
There is an open day every last Sunday of the month, for those who are keen to visit CROW, during which you can see the dozens of injured, orphaned and displaced wild animals and birds taken in by the organisation. Gates open at 10.30am and there is a tour that starts at 11am. Or help CROW by volunteering your time or giving a donation.

Contact Details:
Address: 2 Coedmore Avenue, Yellowwood Park, Durban. Telephone: +27 (0)31 462-1127