Free Spirit Wildlife Sanctuary

06/09/2026

04/09/2026

Yesterday, while sitting down and doing some add-ups on how many animals we’ve rescued and successfully released back into nature over the past two years, I was truly stunned. As a small rehabilitation center—where many days it’s just me working day and night—the final numbers completely amazed me.

To give you an idea of what we’ve accomplished together:

Antelopes: 5

Scrub Hare: 1

Tortoises: 22

Birds (various species): ~250

Birds of Prey: 5

Squirrels: 3

Mongoose: 1

Dormice: 7

Bats: 47

Primates: 14 Vervets (transferred to WATCH) & 1 Samango monkey (reintegrated into her troop)

Sea Birds: 1

Moles: 5

We have also faced painful losses along the way. We can’t win every battle, but every single soul we’ve lost holds a special place in my heart.

Certain species bring unique challenges. Sunbirds, for instance, are exceptionally delicate and demanding to hand-rear, but I am finally getting the hang of their specialized care. Then there are the vervet monkeys—perhaps the most misunderstood of all. So many mothers are killed, leaving babies to be illegally traded. When those traumatized infants first arrive, crying and mourning their mothers, it breaks your heart. Partnering with WATCH to give them a second chance at a wild life makes every hard hour worth it. Seeing updates of them growing into their unique personalities is a constant reminder of why we do this.

My approach to rehabilitation might differ at times from conventional training, but listening to intuition and working twice as hard has guided this journey. Every animal teaches a new lesson. Wildlife belongs in the wild—never kept as pets—and knowing when an animal is truly ready to return home is something experience teaches best.

I am just an ordinary person with a deep heart for animals, standing up as a voice for the voiceless to give our wildlife the second chance they deserve. Having an amazing group of people always there to assist, offer advice, or just listen truly helps me more than words can say. It’s certainly not always easy, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who supports this mission!

04/09/2026

Good morning, everyone!

As we head into our summer season, one issue of deep concern to me is the influx of orphaned baby animals. Unfortunately, this also means many wild animals will be taken in as pets.

As I have emphasized in so many of my posts: wildlife is not a pet.

Wild animals do not make good pets. Even if your intention is to rescue them, there is a very high chance you could inadvertently cause them harm or death by providing the wrong diet or using incorrect feeding techniques. So much specialized planning goes into the care of each species. Furthermore, as these animals mature, their natural instincts take over, which often leads to aggressive behavior toward their owners.

They belong in the wild—not confined to a cage or an domestic enclosure.

Additionally, a wild animal raised as a pet cannot simply be released back into nature; without proper preparation, they will not survive. Rehabilitation is a precise, time-consuming process that allows animals to gradually readapt to their natural environment and learn essential survival skills. It is not an easy task.

If you come across an animal in need, please call a registered wildlife rehabilitator right away rather than taking away their free spirit. That is why we as rehabilitators are here: to ensure our wildlife receives the specialized care they need so they can successfully return to the wild where they belong.

02/09/2026

Good morning, everyone!
Wow, I truly can’t believe it’s already the 2nd of September 2026. That means our "silly season" is officially upon us, and we can expect just about anything to come our way.
We’ve been extremely busy behind the scenes and are a bit backed up with updates, but we’ll be sharing more posts with you soon! Releasing the Red-crested Korhaan was truly a special moment for us, and I couldn't wait to share that milestone with all of you.
As we step into this busy season, we are in desperate need of essential items to ensure we’re fully prepared for any emergency or patient that comes through our doors.
How You Can Help Us Prepare:
• Takealot Wishlist & Vouchers: We’ve created a Takealot Wishlist with our most needed supplies. You can purchase items directly or send a Takealot voucher of your choice to +27 73 559 5872 via WhatsApp or email it to [email protected].
• Wishlist: https://www.takealot.com/wishlist/shared/1:55c0b617322841ab8cd2d06d48b0fb3d
• Vouchers: https://www.takealot.com/wishlist/shared/1:9be11ac350304eab8cd196d24dd99d4d
•Delivery Address: If purchasing physical items for delivery, please set the delivery address to: Free Spirit wildlife sanctuary
o Bolt & Nuts (Opposite Build It),
o Mbazwana, 3974
EFT & Online Donations:
If you prefer to contribute directly toward medical supplies, vet bills, and fresh food and veggies for our animals, you can support us via Whydonate or direct bank transfer:
• Whydonate Link:
• Euro: https://whydonate.com/fundraising/help-our-wildlife-
• USD: https://whydonate.com/fundraising/where-wild-souls-find-shelter-building-together-2
Bank Account Details:
• Bank: First National Bank (FNB) Business
• Account Name: Free Spirit Wildlife Sanctuary NPO
• Account Number: 63176679331
• Branch Code: 220530
• Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ
• Reference: wildlife support
We don’t do this for ourselves—we do it to be the voice for the voiceless. Because we receive no government funding, we rely solely on the kindness of our supporters. Even a monthly pledge of R100.00 (approx. $6.21 USD) or a one-off donation makes a massive impact. Every single cent goes directly to the care, rehabilitation, and nutrition of our animals.
If you aren't able to donate right now, simply sharing this post helps us tremendously! Thank you so much for standing with us. We truly couldn't do this without you.

01/09/2026

Good morning, everyone!
Today, I want to share something truly special. On August 17th, I received a call from Kevin at Wild Tomorrow regarding an unstable korhaan (a species of bustard, which are medium-to-large ground-dwelling birds). He was struggling on his legs and falling over, so I immediately scrambled to arrange transport for him.
Candice from Shark Life was driving through Hluhluwe and kindly offered to pick him up. That afternoon, I went to fetch him. Upon examination, I noticed his beak was cracked, so we cleaned the area and provided initial treatment to kickstart his healing process.
I kept him in a small enclosure for the first few days to closely monitor his strength, make sure he was eating well, and administer his medications. He was offered a variety of food to meet his dietary needs, though chicken hearts quickly became his absolute favourite! He actually had the honour of being the very first patient housed in our newly completed enclosure.
Working with adult wild birds can be exceptionally challenging—the stress of confinement can easily cause them to slip into a decline. My primary goal was to get his strength back up as quickly as possible so he could return to the wild. After a few days of medication, physical rehab to rebuild his leg muscles, and plenty of nutrient-rich meals, he was ready to go home.
As he started feeling better, he certainly let us know it! Whenever it was time for his medication, he showed off a kick that earned him the nickname "Mini Ostrich" among the staff.
By Saturday, he had made fantastic progress. Since we had a trip scheduled to Hluhluwe, we took the opportunity to return him to Kevin for his final release. He rested on Sunday to stretch his muscles, and on Monday, August 31st, he was officially set free back where he belongs. Seeing the video of his release was such a proud moment!
What makes this accomplishment even more extra special is something Kevin shared with me after the release. Korhaans are notoriously shy birds, and to date, only 15 have ever been ringed in South Africa. Kevin himself has ringed 5 of them—and now, our team can proudly say we helped save 1 of those 15!
It was a true privilege to work with such a remarkable bird, and an incredible learning experience for all of us. Thank you to everyone who played a part in his journey back to the wild!
# #

31/08/2026

*🐢 DID YOU KNOW? A TORTOISE SHELL IS PART OF THEM! 🐢*

It’s not a backpack they can take off 😉

A tortoise shell is actually *living bone* — about 60 bones fused together, including their spine and ribs!

*SHELL 101*
- *Carapace*: The domed top that protects their back
- *Plastron*: The flat bottom plate that protects their belly
- *Scutes*: The hard outer scales made of keratin — yep, the same stuff as your fingernails!
- *Not an exoskeleton*: It’s permanently fused. They were born in it, and they’ll grow in it for life.

*FUN FACTS*
- *They can FEEL you* — There are nerve endings in their shells! Gentle touches, taps, and pressure are all felt.
- *Built-in hideout* — Land tortoises can pull their head, legs, and tail right inside for safety.
- *Grows with them* — The shell expands as they grow. They never outgrow it or swap it.
- *Dome vs Sleek* — Land tortoises have tall, heavy domes. Water turtles have flat, sleek shells for swimming.

So next time you see a tortoise, remember: that shell isn’t just armor. It’s their home, their skeleton, and part of who they are 💚

*Respect wildlife. Share their home. Protect our future.*

*Free Spirit Wildlife Sanctuary*
📍 Sodwana Bay, KZN | 📞 073 559 5872 | NPO 317-803
_Wildlife Rescue • Rehabilitation • Release • Education_

29/08/2026

Good morning everyone!
I don't normally post over the weekend, but I’ve been so excited to share this news with you all! We were just waiting to put the final touches on everything.
Our new property is officially up and running! We still have plenty of work ahead, but we are officially operating on the site. Our very first enclosure is built, we have our own main gate, and we’ve set up two additional enclosures ready for use.
The last few weeks have involved a lot of hard work—planning, measuring, and building. Working with our local deep sand and uneven ground made designing and setting up the enclosures quite a challenge, and a few days of rain put us back a bit (though the rain was very much needed!). We can finally take a deep breath and look at what we've accomplished.
It has been two years in the making. Between summer weather setbacks and needing to redirect funds directly into animal care along the way, it took time—but we made it. I couldn't be prouder of our small but powerhouse team.
A massive thank you to Roy, Adel, Ben, and Martin. You guys rock! I know I’m not always the easiest person to work with, but you understand the vision, take my ideas, and build them into reality. I am so grateful for every single one of you. This is only the beginning for us—now we push even further!
To everyone who has donated, bought supplies, and shared our posts: thank you so much. We truly couldn't do any of this without your support.
I’m sharing two videos below: a short version showing where we started, and a longer video showing the full journey of developing this new space ( video in comment). Hope you enjoy the preview!
Thank you all for standing by us! 🐾💚

28/08/2026

Good morning all,

Today, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you once again to Adel and her family for donating some of our signboards for the new property. I would also like to give a massive thank you to TWOBAR SCUBA for donating another signboard to help raise awareness for the sanctuary.

In the coming weeks, we will start putting our signboards up as I am currently in the process of getting the necessary community permissions.

We are truly proud of what we have achieved over the last few months. It hasn't been easy, but we have worked incredibly hard, and I am so proud of everyone involved. Looking back at where we started compared to where we are today is simply amazing, and I cannot thank everyone enough. We still have a long way to go, but we will get there—slowly but surely!

Finally, a special thank you to Unique Kosi Prints for helping us design these amazing signboards and for working alongside us. You guys really rock!

27/08/2026

Subject: Urgent Appeal: Help Us Prepare for the Upcoming Busy Summer Season!
Good morning, everyone!
Hope you are having an amazing weekend so far. Today, we are reaching out to ask if you could help us prepare for the upcoming summer season. Summer is our busiest time of the year—we affectionately call it our "silly season"—and we are in desperate need of supplies to ensure we are fully stocked and ready for any animal in need.
On our wish list, you will notice a variety of items:
Kitchen Items: Used strictly in our dedicated preparation kitchen to make daily special diets and formulas for the animals (not for personal use!).
Office Supplies: Essential for handling our extensive daily paperwork, permits, and record-keeping.
Cleaning & Sanctuary Supplies: Crucial products to maintain proper hygiene, sanitation, and safety across all enclosures.
Every single item listed is a true necessity. If you find similar items elsewhere at a lower price and would like to donate those instead, you are more than welcome to do so—we deeply appreciate any support we receive!
How You Can Help
Takealot Wishlist or Vouchers: Purchase directly off our Wishlist or send a Takealot gift voucher.
Wishlist :https://www.takealot.com/.../1:68a0a2f6e9cc4c39881e2976eb...
Vouchers:https://www.takealot.com/.../1:9be11ac350304eab8cd196d24d...
Direct NPO Bank Transfer: Donate directly to our NPO bank account to help cover operational costs.
Bank Details:
Bank: First National Bank (FNB) Business
Account Name: Free Spirit Wildlife Sanctuary NPO
Account Number: 63176679331
Branch Code: 220530
Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ
Reference: wildlife support
International Donations: Overseas supporters can contribute via our Whydonate link (accepting USD and EUR).
USD:https://whydonate.com/.../where-wild-souls-find-shelter...
EUR:https://whydonate.com/fundraising/help-our-wildlife-
Medication & Vet Fund: We also purchase critical medications directly from local pharmacies and vets to treat injured animals upon arrival. Direct financial gifts help keep this fund ready for emergencies.
Delivery Address for Deliveries:
Bold and Nuts (Opposite Build It)
Mbazwana
3974
Thank you all so much for your continued kindness, support, and dedication to helping us give these animals a second chance at life!

26/08/2026

Dearest Roy,

Happy Birthday! Today, as we celebrate you, I want to take a moment to look back at everything we’ve poured our hearts into and say the most heartfelt thank you.

Building this sanctuary together over the last four years has been quite a journey. It certainly hasn't been easy—the early mornings, the late nights, the endless physical labour, and the non-stop challenges that come with this life. But through every single hurdle, you have been my absolute rock.

I honestly couldn't ask for a better partner in work or in life. I love your creative mind and your brilliant ideas when it comes to designing and constructing our enclosures. No matter how big, difficult, or daunting a project seems, you never hesitate to jump right in with me. Your fearlessness, ready hands, and steadfast support make all the difference, and there is no way the sanctuary would be where it is today without you.

Thank you for your tireless dedication, your hard work, and for always being right by my side through it all.

I hope you take time today to truly enjoy your special day and feel how much you are loved and appreciated. Happy Birthday!

With all my love,

Marie