Having just taken up his new position as Manager at Tenikwa Wildlife Rehab and Awareness Centre in Plettenberg Bay when the nationwide lockdown began, Matthew Morris has had a most unusual job orientation.
He was originally hired to market the centre’s lodge and look after guests but, since lockdown began, the team at Tenikwa has been cut to only four essential people and Morris has had his hands full looking after the centre’s non-human guests.
“My first day at work was walking through the enclosures with a white bucket looking for animal scat,” he laughed, as he explained that the last two months had been very much about getting to know the animals.
A nature guide for 16 years, Morris is no stranger to wildlife and has put in a lot of effort getting to know his new housemates.
“I’ve had to learn so much, get to know their personalities and the way they’re used to things being done.” He told Tourism Update that he even had to learn the names of the cats and which one should be fed first to avoid fighting.
The centre is home to several permanent residents who have been rescued but have no hope of being released, but there is also a section in which animals, ranging from honey badgers to seagulls, are rehabilitated and released. While operational costs of the facility during the lockdown have been covered by the centre’s contingency funding, usually reserved for wildlife disasters, the rehabilitation centre is usually funded by guests visiting the centre but with travel restrictions during lockdown, this funding came to a halt.
“We’ve stayed active on social media, and we gave each animal a button so that people can fall in love with an animal and then choose to support it through our donation options.”
He said support for the animals had been excellent through April but had dwindled in May. “It’s tough because it’s a pandemic; the whole world is struggling. I have family in the States who tell me they’d love to help but I understand that they are also battling with this.”
Despite the struggles, Morris says a highlight of the last two months was being able to release a honey badger who had been at the centre for nine months. “We were able to take him to a reserve up in the mountains.” He added that the animal was very unlikely to encounter humans ever again in its new home.
Morris describes the centre as being eerie without any tourists. “There’s a big empty reception and benches and tables that I’ve never seen being used. It’s quite strange.” But he and the team are ready to welcome guests back as soon as possible.
With a clear passion for conservation, Morris described a new work experience programme he’s hoping to initiate at the centre. Students in the fields of nature and conservation would be able to spend several months working with the team and animals at Tenikwa, as well as at CapeNature and SANParks, said Morris.
He acknowledges that without his team members the last two months would have been impossible. “We keep each other positive, especially on cold mornings when your feet are cold and your socks are wet and the last thing you feel like doing is collecting cheetah poo,” he joked.
