African Raptor Centre

24/06/2026

Meet Börker, our female Black Sparrowhawk, named by her rescuer, Dawn.
Raptor Rescue Rehabilitation Centre

Börker was brought to us after being shot in the Killarney Valley. Her fractured bones have been surgically pinned and now require strict confinement to give them the best chance to heal properly. While cage rest is never easy for an active bird of prey, Börker is coping well. She is eating enthusiastically, looking bright and alert, and enjoying a good stretch whenever she gets the opportunity.

Every successful recovery is a reminder that these predators deserve protection, not persecution. With time, patience, and expert care, Börker will continue on her journey toward recovery.

22/06/2026

22/06/2026

Those expressive pink eyelids and dramatic plumicorns say it all – incubation duty is serious business!

The Verreaux's Eagle-Owl is Africa's largest owl, and breeding season typically occurs during the dry winter months. Females usually lay 1–2 eggs and spend around 38–40 days incubating them. While the female does most of the incubation, the male plays a vital role by guarding the nest territory and delivering food to his mate throughout this demanding period.

Listed as Least Concern, Verreaux's Eagle-Owls remain widespread across much of sub-Saharan Africa, but they still face threats from habitat loss, persecution, collisions, and secondary poisoning from rodenticides.

For now, our dedicated owl mum is focused on one thing only: keeping that precious egg warm—though her expression suggests she'd appreciate a little more help from dad!

20/06/2026

Captive breeding is an important conservation tool for endangered species, helping to maintain genetic diversity and support the recovery of vulnerable wild populations. This young African White-backed Vulture is the second chick successfully bred at the African Raptor Centre since our forced relocation and is now nearly a year old and approaching release age.

Encouragingly, captive-bred, parent-raised vultures develop the same natural behaviours as their wild-born counterparts and can be successfully released to contribute to wild populations. For species facing dramatic declines across Africa, every bird returned to the skies matters.

From a carefully nurtured chick to a future scavenger helping keep Africa's ecosystems healthy—this is conservation in action.

18/06/2026

It's been a busy day...
We finally managed to snap a quick pic of our first Cape egg of the season. More to follow, based on the activities on the cliff...

18/06/2026

Youth Day at Tala Private Game Reserve

18/06/2026

Even though these Cape Vultures are non-releasable, they continue to display all the natural breeding behaviours seen in wild birds. As colonial cliff breeders, Cape Vultures form strong pair bonds, build nests, mate, lay a single egg, and diligently share incubation duties.

Watching these behaviours is a powerful reminder that the instinct to breed and raise young remains strong, even in birds that can no longer return to the wild. For an endangered species, every breeding pair provides valuable insight into the biology and conservation of these incredible scavengers, and every chick carries the hope that we can save the species.

18/06/2026

Morning chaos! Thank you tp Kathleen Whelan, who has collected puppy pads and other essentials as part of her Springbok Scout project. Heaven knows we go through loads of them.

16/06/2026

Everyone has been asking for an update on Diesel, our young Martial Eagle from the The Owl Orphanage. Velddrif.

After sustaining a horrific wing injury, Diesel continues to make encouraging progress. New feathers are growing in well, a critical step in his recovery journey. To give these developing feathers the best possible chance, Diesel is currently housed in skylight seclusion, where stress is kept to an absolute minimum.

Stress during feather growth can result in the formation of stress lines—weak points within the feather shaft that can compromise feather strength and flight performance. Even though Diesel won't be able to fly again, providing a calm, secure environment, ensures that his new feathers grow in strong and healthy.

If all continues to go according to plan, the next exciting milestone will be introducing Diesel to one of our female martial eagles. For now, patience remains the key, but we are delighted with his progress and look forward to sharing further updates on this young eagle's recovery.