Anushka - The Wildlife EA

03/09/2026

A Historic First: The WAZA Annual Conference Heads to South Africa in 2027 🇿🇦

From 17 to 21 October 2027, the global zoo and aquarium community will gather at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town for WAZA’s 82nd Annual Conference.

For the first time, every WAZA institutional member within one country has come together behind a single national bid.

Cango Wildlife and The Johannesburg Zoo will serve as the primary hosts and lead coordinators. They will be joined by Two Oceans Aquarium as the official venue partner, together with the uShaka Sea World, operated by the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) , and National Zoological Garden of South Africa, part of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

As one of the world’s megadiverse countries, South Africa offers a remarkable setting for our global community to exchange knowledge, strengthen relationships and advance collective action for wildlife.

Further information about the programme, registration and delegate experiences will be announced in due course.

📌 Save the date!

👉Discover the full 2027 Host Announcement:
https://www.waza.org/news/the-waza-annual-conference-heads-to-south-africa-in-2027/

03/09/2026

🔎 COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NEEDED: PLEASE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR PATRICIA OUR CAPE PORCUPINE!!!

We’re asking our Cango Wildlife community and neighbours to please help us keep an eye out for Patricia, our young porcupine, who is currently outside of her habitat.

Patricia was moved into a new habitat yesterday and, despite all usual checks being completed, our team discovered this morning that she had managed to find her way out overnight. Our team is actively searching the facility and surrounding area.

Patricia was rescued as a baby and has been in human care her entire life. She is very comfortable around people and she is dependent on her caregivers for her daily care, which is why we are incredibly eager to get her safely back home.

If you are near Cango Wildlife, please keep an eye out. If you see a porcupine, or think you may have spotted Patricia, please do not approach, chase or attempt to catch her. Keep a safe distance, take note of the exact location and contact us immediately.

📞 Cango Wildlife: 044 272 5593
📱 Tammy, Chief of Staff: 073 990 3731
📱 Narinda, Chief Conservation Officer: 076 695 0286

Any information, no matter how small, could help us bring Patricia safely home. 💚

Please share this post, especially with anyone living or working in the surrounding area.

03/09/2026

Welcome to Africa Skills Cango Academy!

Yesterday I had the privilege to witness the achievement of a big milestone! We launched our campus, off the back of months of hard work turning an idea into an actual place where real skills get built.

Watching people walk through classrooms that were empty shells not long ago hit different. This isn’t just a building. It’s a promise, to Oudtshoorn, to the next generation of conservationists, tourism leaders and skilled hands who deserve a genuine shot at a real career, close to home.

We’re just getting started. This Saturday, 5 September, we’re throwing our doors open to the whole community for the official Cango Academy Africa Skills launch. Come walk the campus, meet the team, and see exactly what this means for you or someone you love.

10/06/2026

When I shared aunt Jackie's story in April, something happened that I did not expect:

You showed up in the comments, the messages and in the shares that carried her story far beyond my little corner of the internet.

So I wanted to come back and tell you: Aunt Jackie is still going. 💛
She has now completed three physically demanding chemotherapy sessions, facing the long hours and real side effects with the same quiet grace she brings to our animal kitchen every morning.

Recently, aunt Jackie reached a deeply personal milestone when she began experiencing hair loss. When staff took her to the CANSA shop to choose a wig, true to form, her focus wasn't on herself, it was entirely on supporting the shop and the vital work they do for others walking the same road. Please read the full story in the May edition of The Cango Digest. Link in the comments. 👇

Aunt Jackie's courage has clearly touched a lot of people. If you were one of the people who commented, shared, or simply held space for aunt Jackie's story the first time around: She knows, and it matters more than you know.

Follow along if you want to stay updated on aunt Jackie's journey. This will not be the last chapter. 💛

09/06/2026

Hugely exciting news, folks!

Following a comprehensive biodiversity assessment and subsequent review by the relevant committee, we are delighted to announce that our property has qualified for Nature Reserve status under the CapeNature Biodiversity Stewardship Programme.

We have now commenced the formal process to have the property declared a Provincial Nature Reserve, with our ultimate goal being the proclamation of a Private Nature Reserve following the completion of the required public participation process.

In recognition of the extraordinary natural and historical significance of Meiringspoort, which borders and traverses the western reaches of our property, we have chosen to name the protected area the Meiringspoort Private Nature Reserve.

Our new logo represents the highly restricted and critically endangered Cape Stag Beetle (genus Colophon), found only on the highest peaks of the Swartberg mountains above the Meiringspoort pass, these flightless insects rely on the cool, mist-fed alpine environment to survive.

This represents a major milestone for conservation in the region and will help safeguard the area’s remarkable biodiversity, unique landscapes, endemic flora and fauna, and ecological integrity for future generations.

Together with the work of the Karoo Donkey Sanctuary, we believe this initiative will contribute meaningfully to positioning De Rust as a destination for nature conservation, responsible tourism, environmental education, and animal welfare.

We look forward to sharing more details as the process unfolds and to welcoming the community on this exciting journey.

The future of conservation in the Karoo has never looked brighter. 🌿🦓🏔️

08/06/2026

Meet Lilo.

She is one of our brown lemurs here at Cango Wildlife, and a few weeks ago she went through something no one ever wants to hear about their animal: she lost an eye.

Lilo developed glaucoma, a condition where pressure builds up inside the eye and becomes incredibly painful if left untreated. After specialised eye drops failed to improve things, our vet team made the compassionate call to surgically remove the affected eye to give her relief and a better quality of life.

Here is the thing about animals though: they adapt in ways that will genuinely surprise you. Lilo is already recovering well, eating, climbing, socialising, and doing what lemurs do best.

The full story of her surgery, including how a group of pre-vet students got a front-row seat to wildlife medicine in action, is on the blog. Link in the comments. 👇

Have you ever been surprised by how resilient an animal can be?

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

Let me introduce myself: I’m Anushka, an Executive Assistant at Cango Wildlife, and this is just a tiny glimpse of the absolute chaos I manage every single day. 😂

Drop a comment below: Does your boss have this much chaotic energy? 🤪

03/06/2026

Turning a mild cold into an unprompted performance review for my own body. 😅