SanWild Sanctuary

17/08/2026

Little Guy and Imara are growing up fast! In a few months they will be big enough to move to a larger interim enclosure in the Sanctuary until we can build them a large forever home. We couldn't be happier about the progress they've made in such a short time 😊🐾

15/08/2026

Ysis as cute as a button while Yoda had no interest in us what’s so ever there is one😝🐾

14/08/2026

Layish is loving his new large enclosure that he shares with Mel. The two are still getting used to each other and spend their time close to one another but they're not yet at the point where they would groom each other... That will come with time 😊🐾

14/08/2026

Layish and Mel has settled in beautifully in their 8 hectare enclosure. They're still getting used to each other but so far we are incredibly happy with their progress 😊🐾

13/08/2026

In Loving Memory of Steve Smit: Founder of Monkey Helpline

SanWild extends our heartfelt condolences to Carol, Steve’s family, the Monkey Helpline team, and everyone who knew and loved him.

Although we did not know Steve personally, we deeply respect him as an icon in animal protection..someone who dedicated his life to standing up for animals and having the courage to fight for what he believed was right.

Those of us who share a passion for protecting animals and wildlife must stand together, honour one another, and uplift those who dedicate their lives to making a difference. There is no room for division when we are all fighting for the same cause. Every individual who has the courage to speak up, take a stand and protect those who cannot protect themselves deserves our respect and support.

Steve was one of those individuals, and his contribution to animal protection will not be forgotten.

Rest in peace, Steve. 🖤🐒
Your legacy will live on through the lives you fought to protect.

To honour Steve’s legacy and support the continuing work of Monkey Helpline:
www.monkeyhelpline.co.za

𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐓

𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐓𝐒. 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍.

It is with profound sadness that 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 marks the passing of 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭, founder of Monkey Helpline and one of South Africa’s most dedicated animal-protection advocates.

Some people speak about compassion.

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭.

He went wherever an animal needed him, challenged cruelty even when doing so was difficult or unpopular, and helped people understand that peaceful coexistence with wildlife is not an impossible ideal.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥.

In 1995, Steve founded 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, beginning what would become more than three decades of committed service to KwaZulu-Natal’s vervet monkeys.

Together with his partner and Monkey Helpline co-founder, 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡, Steve built far more than a rescue organisation. They created a lifeline for injured, orphaned and persecuted vervets, and a bridge of understanding between people and the wildlife with whom we share our communities.

𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐇𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍

For Toni V Brockhoven Chairperson of Beauty Without Cruelty South Africa, this loss carries a deeply personal memory.

Toni recalls meeting Steve in KwaZulu-Natal many years ago, during an early period of growth for Fry’s Family Foods. She had travelled there to meet Steve and members of the Fry family. Their conversations moved beyond organisations and business into life, the universe and the future they hoped to help create.

“Steve was an incredible man. He was incredibly gentle and totally committed to animal lives and to educating people about how we should live in harmony and coexist, because coexistence is possible.

“He had such extraordinary empathy for all life. His passing is not only a loss to the animal-protection community. It is a loss to South Africa and to the world.

“I am absolutely heartbroken that Steve has died. I take some comfort in knowing that his final suffering was not prolonged, but his death remains a profound loss for all of us.”

Those who met Steve encountered the same qualities Toni remembers: 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐲, and an unwavering willingness to act when another life was in danger.

𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃

At all hours of the day and night, Steve responded to animals injured by vehicles, dog attacks, electrocution, snares, poison, pellet guns, catapults, razor wire and other forms of human cruelty or conflict.

He met these emergencies with action: rescue, veterinary treatment, patient nursing, rehabilitation, release and, where returning to the wild was no longer possible, lifelong sanctuary care.

Monkey Helpline’s own records represent 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟏𝟖,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬, 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟔,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 and hundreds of primates receiving rehabilitation or sanctuary care.

Yet Steve’s legacy cannot truly be measured in numbers.

Behind every statistic was a frightened animal carried to safety, an orphan given another chance, a wounded body treated with tenderness, a family taught how to coexist peacefully with wildlife, and an act of cruelty that Steve refused to ignore.

Steve once described this commitment in simple words:

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞.”

That was the truth of his life.

𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄

Steve’s courage was not confined to rescue call-outs.

Through 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚, he entered some of the country’s most difficult and contested animal-protection debates.

In 2009, Steve and Animal Rights Africa approached the KwaZulu-Natal High Court seeking an interdict against the bare-handed killing of a bull during the Ukweshwama ceremony. They argued that the manner of killing constituted cruelty.

The court refused the application.

Steve expressed disappointment that the case had been interpreted by some as an attack on Zulu culture. He maintained that Animal Rights Africa’s concern was the suffering of the animal.

Whatever one’s position on the judgment, Steve’s willingness to enter that difficult space reflected something central to his character:

𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠.

He was prepared to be misunderstood, criticised and opposed because animals could not enter a courtroom and speak for themselves.

𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Steve understood that lasting animal protection requires more than rescuing the individual in front of us.

It also requires changing the fear, misinformation and prejudice that placed that animal in danger.

He challenged the damaging belief that vervet monkeys are pests. He educated communities about their intelligence, behaviour, social relationships and right to exist within territories increasingly transformed by human development.

For Steve, education was not secondary to rescue.

𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Every person taught to secure a home humanely, protect food responsibly, slow down for wildlife, restrain dogs or put away a pellet gun potentially prevented the next emergency call.

𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏

Even in September 2025, Steve was still going wherever compassion called him.

When three vervet monkeys became trapped aboard a cargo vessel offshore, Steve and fellow rescuer Daniel Stewart travelled by boat, boarded the ship and brought all three safely back to land.

It was an extraordinary rescue, but it also captured something essential about Steve.

𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦.

Steve did not ask whether an animal was important enough to save.

He acted because that animal’s life mattered.

𝐀 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄

On behalf of 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥, Steve’s children and family, the Monkey Helpline team, its volunteers and supporters, and the entire animal-protection community that loved and respected him.

To Carol and everyone who must now grieve while carrying this vital work forward, we honour your loss and stand beside you.

The animal-protection movement has lost a remarkable guardian, but what Steve built remains a living inheritance.

The vervet monkeys cannot write tributes to him.

Yet every rescued animal returned to its troop, every orphan who survived, every person who chose understanding over fear, and every life protected because Steve taught someone to see differently forms part of the memorial he leaves behind.

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝.

May it live whenever an injured animal is helped.

Whenever cruelty is challenged.

Whenever fear is replaced by understanding.

Whenever coexistence is chosen over persecution.

𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞.

Your work mattered.
Your life mattered.
The lives you saved matter.

The compassion you placed into this world will continue moving through it.

With love, respect and enduring gratitude,

𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚

To honour Steve’s legacy and support the continuing work of Monkey Helpline:

[www.monkeyhelpline.co.za](http://www.monkeyhelpline.co.za)

12/08/2026

WORLD ELEPHANT DAY 12 AUGUST

There are some animals that you simply cannot explain with words. Elephants are definitely one of them.

The more you learn about them, the more incredible they become. They know their families, they protect their babies, they remember places and individuals, and they can travel huge distances to find food and water. They are not just a beautiful part of Africa....they are an important part of keeping our ecosystems healthy.

And yet, every day elephants are losing space to live because of habitat loss, human wildlife conflict, poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

For me, conservation has never been about just saving an animal. It is about making sure there is still a place for that animal to BELONG.

We cannot imagine Africa without elephants. And I hope we never have to.

Today, on World Elephant Day take a moment to appreciate them, but also remember that they need more than our admiration.

They need us to protect them..

11/08/2026

The big day finally arrived for our lion couple, Mel and Layish, on Friday, 7 August!

That afternoon, the gate between their enclosures was finally opened, allowing these two lovebirds to meet after about a month of “courting” through the fence.

Needless to say, everyone was holding their breath, wondering what would happen. Would they run to each other? Would there be roaring, cuddling, or perhaps a little drama? The truth is, no one really knew what to expect and I was definitely stressing a little from afar! 😂

Well..it turned out to be a little different from what us humans might imagine!

If this had been a Hollywood romance, there would have been emotional music playing, a slowmotion run into each other’s arms (well...paws? 🐾), and everyone cheering with tears in their eyes.

But this is the wild, and nature likes to write its own script.

Layish took his time getting up before calmly and confidently walking into Mel’s much larger enclosure. Mel, however, was nowhere to be seen for this long awaited first meeting!

It reminded me of chatting to someone over the phone or online for weeks. You feel so confident while there is a screen ( in their case, a fence) between you, but when you finally meet face to face, suddenly you are both a little shy and have to get to know each other all over again!

Eventually, Mel decided to come down and see what all the fuss was about.

We received these photos shortly afterwards, and although there were no warm hugs, romantic greetings or movie worthy moments, there was also no major aggression from either Mel or Layish..which is exactly what we were hoping for. Mel did have a few "words" for a bit, like all women do. Showing who is actually the boss haha.

In lion introductions, a calm first meeting is actually a fantastic outcome. It is far better for them to quietly observe each other, take things slowly and build trust than to rush into conflict.

So, while Friday was not filled with fireworks (like we all secretly hoped for,well, I did! 😂), it was a very positive first step.

Sometimes the best relationships begin slowly, and we are hopeful that this is the start of a beautiful love story. They both deserve the very best.

We have been keeping a very close eye on these two over the past few days and will continue to update you as their story unfolds. We have everything crossed that this is the beginning of something truly special!

I will also share an update on the lion cubs and the servals during the week, but I can already tell you that they are doing very, very well!

Cheerios everyone, and have a lovely day!
Lizel 🐾

10/08/2026

WORLD LION DAY

Today, we celebrate one of Africa’s most powerful and iconic animals..the lion.

At SanWild, we believe every lion deserves more than survival. They deserve space, freedom, dignity and the chance to simply be a lion.

For the love of Lions everywhere.

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

Happy Women’s Day from SanWild

Today, we celebrate women...their strength, their courage, their compassion, and the incredible things they can create when they believe in something bigger than themselves.

And for me personally, and for SanWild, there is one woman whose story will forever be woven into everything we are: my mother, our founder, the late Louise Joubert.

Louise was a woman with a vision long before people understood just how important that vision would become. She saw beauty and value in animals that others had given up on. She believed that every animal deserved a second chance, a safe place and the opportunity to live with dignity.

She did not simply dream about protecting wildlife… she made it happen. She built SanWild. She was never just a talker.. she was a doer. She did not just dream of making a difference; she got up and made it happen and that is what made her my rolemodel.

With loads of determination, amazing courage, love and an enormous amount of heart & fight, she created a place where lives could be saved, where animals could have another chance, and where people could come together with one shared purpose,to protect wildlife.

As her daughter, I grew up watching that passion and determination firsthand. I saw how deeply she cared, how much she was willing to sacrifice... and how strongly she believed in what she was building.

I wish more than anything that she could have seen what SanWild has become today.

She was taken from us far too soon. Far too soon to see how many lives her dream would touch.

But her legacy never left.

It lives in every lion who wakes up knowing they are safe.
It lives in every animal that gets another chance.
It lives in the bush she loved so deeply.
It lives in the people who dedicate their time and lives to SanWild.
And it lives in all of us who continue to carry her vision forward.

And perhaps most importantly, her legacy lives in the women who continue to stand up for wildlife.

Today, I want to celebrate all the incredible women in conservation..the rangers walking the bush, the veterinarians caring for animals, the researchers and scientists, the conservationists and educators, the rescue and rehabilitation teams, the volunteers, the fundraisers, the mothers, the leaders and all the women working quietly behind the scenes!! You are amazing!

Women who fight for animals that cannot speak for themselves.
Women who face challenges and keep going..
Women who choose compassion, even when the work is difficult.
Women who dedicate their lives to protecting our wild spaces and the creatures who call them home.

Louise was one of those women.

She did not just leave footprints behind..she left a path for others to follow.

So today, on Womens Day, I remember my mother with love, gratitude and immense pride ,while celebrating every woman who continues to carry that same spirit of courage, compassion and determination into the future.

To the women who care.
To the women who fight.
To the women who build.
To the women who protect what cannot protect itself.

And to Louise ..my mother, our founder, and forever the heart behind SanWild. ❤️

Your dream lives on.
Your legacy lives on.
And the wild you fought so hard for continues to speak your name.

Happy Womens Day to all the amazing women out there!

Loads of love to you all