26/05/2026
Yes to be wild and free !
Also why Penguin SOS excist
THE STORY OF OVERBERG WILDnFREE
WILD and FREE
On the morning of 7 August 2015, a moment happened that would change everything.
While driving along a quiet gravel road near Stanford in the Overberg, I witnessed something incredibly rare — a pair of Caracal running together along the road.
These beautiful wild cats are usually solitary animals. Seeing a male and female together meant it was mating season — a rare and special moment in nature.
I slowed down to admire them as they ran ahead of the vehicle.
Then suddenly, everything changed.
In a split second, the pair crossed the road directly in front of the bakkie. There was no time to stop.
Both animals rolled beneath the vehicle.
When I got out, my heart sank.
The male lay nearby, already gone. The young female was still alive but badly injured. Her pelvis and hips had been crushed, leaving her paralysed. Using only her front legs, she tried to pull herself away from the road.
It was one of the most heartbreaking moments I have ever experienced.
I called for help immediately.
Lizaene from Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary arrived quickly and tried to help, but the female was in too much pain and shock to be safely handled.
We contacted Dr Marc Walton from Hermanus Animal Hospital, who rushed to the scene and cancelled his appointments to come.
After examining her, the devastating truth became clear.
Her injuries were too severe. She would never walk again, never hunt again, and could not survive in the wild.
With deep compassion and respect, Dr Walton gently ended her suffering.
The moment was quiet and heartbreaking.
But what stayed with me most was the respect and dignity with which this wild animal was treated in her final moments.
I could not move on from that day.
For weeks I returned to the place where it happened, overwhelmed with grief for these two beautiful animals whose lives had ended simply because they crossed a road.
Lizaene offered to bury them at Panthera Africa.
She created a small grave and placed a simple cross with the words:
“Lived Wild and Free.”.
That was when their names came to me.
The male became Wild.
The female became Free.
And from that moment, Overberg WildnFree was born.
Why Overberg WildnFree Exists
Overberg WildnFree was created to help protect the wildlife that share our landscape.
Roads cut through their territory.
We are the visitors here — not them.
By raising awareness, installing wildlife warning signs, and educating motorists to slow down, we hope to prevent tragedies like the one that took Wild and Free.
Their memory lives on in our logo — the two caracals facing each other — reminding us why this work matters.
Every animal deserves the chance to live wild and free.
Please help us protect our wildlife
- Drive carefully on rural roads.
- Slow down where wildlife crosses.
- Respect the wild spaces we move through.
Because they belong there.
We don’t.
