Meet Barkie, the baby aardvark

My family is from Namibia and we’ve had close ties with Na’ankuse for many years (sister works there) and my husband is involved in their Bushman Clinic. It’s approach to animal care and rehabilitation is second to none. Animals that can be released back into the wild are (there’s a range of documentaries on their leopard, lion and cheetah release programme, and they have started Africa’s first wild dog rehabilitation – they’re hoping to release an entire pack back into the wild). Sadly, some orphaned or very injured animals aren’t considered suitable for release, and are kept at the sanctuary in large enclosures. They’re taken out into the bush once a day (the ‘walks’ you mention) to encourage them to develop natural behavior, and, where possible, they are integrated into semi-tame groups of the same animal to encourage natural group behavior. They also often provide valuable new insight into animal behaviour, particularly in the case of animals like Barkie, that are very shy and not well researched. Na’ankuse is not a zoo – it’s an extremely ambitious and ethical conservation initiative and one of the most successful and well-documented in Namibia. They have recently purchase another huge piece of land in Namibia’s semi-desert, where more animals will live in the wild and in peace. You also refer to baboons – I’ll clarify. There are 2 troops of orphans, all survivors of mothers being shot. Without Na’ankuse, they would have died. They are too injured, traumatized or simply accustomed to humans to be re-released, so they live as a troop in a huge enclosure and are taken for daily works with a dedicated team who see that they are developing normally, both physically and mentally. Please don’t criticize an organization you don’t understand – Africa’s animals need all the support they can get, and comments like yours drive vital funds away from where they are needed most.

My family is from Namibia and we’ve had close ties with Na’ankuse for many years (sister works there) and my husband is involved in their Bushman Clinic. It’s approach to animal care and rehabilitation is second to none. Animals that can be released back into the wild are (there’s a range of documentaries on their leopard, lion and cheetah release programme, and they have started Africa’s first wild dog rehabilitation – they’re hoping to release an entire pack back into the wild). Sadly, some orphaned or very injured animals aren’t considered suitable for release, and are kept at the sanctuary in large enclosures. They’re taken out into the bush once a day (the ‘walks’ you mention) to encourage them to develop natural behavior, and, where possible, they are integrated into semi-tame groups of the same animal to encourage natural group behavior. They also often provide valuable new insight into animal behaviour, particularly in the case of animals like Barkie, that are very shy and not well researched. Na’ankuse is not a zoo – it’s an extremely ambitious and ethical conservation initiative and one of the most successful and well-documented in Namibia. They have recently purchased another huge piece of land in Namibia’s semi-desert, where more animals will live in the wild and in peace. You also refer to baboons – I’ll clarify. There are 2 troops of orphans, all survivors of mothers being shot. Without Na’ankuse, they would have died. They are too injured, traumatized or simply accustomed to humans to be re-released, so they live as a troop in a huge enclosure and are taken for daily walks with a dedicated team who see that they are developing normally, both physically and mentally. Please don’t criticize an organization you don’t understand – Africa’s animals need all the support they can get, and comments like yours drive vital funds away from where they are needed most.

You need to be more specific with your criticism and substantiate it.