Genet litter keeps surrogate clinic mom’s hands full
IT’S been all systems go at the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) over the past few months, with baby season keeping the team wide awake and on their toes.
“Clinic nurse, Kelly Wilyman has had no less than nine baby genets all vying for her undivided attention. The feisty youngsters, all large spotted genets, are between the ages of three and eight weeks-old and have made their way to the centre after being found orphaned or abandoned by members of the public from various locations in and around KZN,” said communications officer, Paul Hoyt.
The genets are receiving around-the-clock care from Kelly, who as their surrogate mum has the unenviable task of juggling two-hourly bottle feeds for her little litter 24-hours a day.
“Hand-rearing any wild animal is definitely no easy feat, but it’s the thought of setting that animal free again that keeps you going on a daily basis. When done properly and human contact is kept to a minimum, rehabilitated animals are able to make a smooth transition back into the wild. The last thing we want is to condemn any animal to living in a cage for the rest of its life.”
The genets will be released later in the year, once they are big and strong enough to fend for themselves at sites that have been pre-inspected and approved by Crow.
