Released into a Semi-Wild

Today, was an exciting day! Today we opened up the doors of the introduction cage which enters in the semi-wild! The baboons under-going rehabilitation for release into the wild, a troop formed of orphans named "Simon's Troop" get to enjoy living in the bush, their native habitat, their new home until they are released fully!

The first batch of orphans were released last week, this batch of six just under-went their health check, TB clearance and deworming in the intro-cages and were released today! They were so pleased to be back together with their other troop members; Mango, Spirit, Kiki-Honey, Mika, Oscar, Nessie and Princess-Julie! The rest of their troop are to follow very soon!

This is C.A.R.E.'s second semi-wild enclosure and we are fundraising for our third; www.gofundme.com/almostwild. The semi-wild enclosures are incredible; full of trees, shrubs, grasses and bugs which the baboons evolved to eat and live among! We are so excited to see this troop stalking grasshoppers, eating grewia berries, grass seeds and shoots, scraping the ground for bulbs and looking up at a blue sky with no cage above their heads!

We would love to give enclosures like this to all the well-deserving baboons at C.A.R.E. The baboons arrive to C.A.R.E. due to human cruelty, with your help we can give them back a life. You can help us give another troop a similar enclosure!

The semi-wild enclosure is exactly what it says it is - where the baboons can enjoy an almost-wild life! It is in a nature reserve, within the baboons natural bush habitat. Within it are all the grasses, shrubs and fruiting trees which their bodies evolved to eat - marulas, sour plum, bush willow, bushman's grape, silver raisin and other grewia bushes, knob thorns, silver cluster-leaf, low-veld cluster-leaf and so many more trees and plants - not to mention an array of bugs! We will still provide food for the baboons, as they will not have the amount of space available to them that a real wild life would provide them with, but they can live within the safety of the electric fence and enjoy the best of both worlds!

We wish we could give this type of enclosure to every troop of baboons at C.A.R.E., you can help us achieve that wish! This is our second semi-wild enclosure, the first one, despite there being a drought is proving to remain well-vegetated, which is a good indication that the number of baboons within it are below the carrying capacity of the space. We hope and pray for rain so that the vegetation in the whole reserve can recover as this summer has seen very little rainfall.

We are fundraising to build a third semi-wild enclosure and hope you will be inspired to give a little towards it - it makes such a difference to the baboons' quality of life! www.gofundme.com/almostwild - please, PLEASE help another troop of baboons enjoy life like this troop through making a donation.

This semi-wild enclosure is a huge achievement for C.A.R.E. and some well deserving baboon orphans! Each baboon in this troop had their freedom taken away when their mothers were killed by cruel humans - thanks to the fundraising and donations of lots of wonderful people we have provided these orphans a new baboon family and a life in their natural habitat.

This enclosure was possible thanks to Edythe Guice, The International Primate Protection League, Shirley McGreal (IPPL), Jennifer Cisna and all those that donated to the cause. If you are inspired by these photos please donate to ensure another troop enjoy a life like this; www.gofundme.com/almostwild. Share and enjoy this exciting moment for these very special baboons!

Below - the orphans as babies when they first came to care enjoying the trees at the river with an orphan care-giver! It is so great to know they are going to spend their lives in trees now after being released into the semi-wild, or foraging through the natural grass and bushes instead of a cage! Wahoo!