Tenikwa - Wildlife Rehabilitation & Awareness Centre

Much of South Africa’s wildlife is being forced to adapt to surviving on urban fringes as more and more open spaces become transformed into human dwellings. This continued escalation over the last decade has created a steady decline in our wildlife population. The founders of Tenikwa, recognising the growing need for intervention, as early as 2002, have since played an important role in working consistently towards reversing this unfortunate trend.

- Jenny Ponder

Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre is ide-ally situated in one of the most biodiverse hotspots along South Africa’s Garden Route, (a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) sustaining 43% of South Africa’s plant and animal life and embodying over thirty terrestrial habitat types.

A non-profit organisation, Tenikwa works in close partnership with Nature Conservation authorities and is registered with the South African Veterinary Council, with permits issued by both Cape Nature and the Department of the Environment. Tenikwa is also one of the very few centres in the world that accepts marine, as well as terrestrial species for rehabilitation.

Over these last ten years, in the region of 25000 visitors per year have visited Tenikwa’s Awareness Centre and their staff has grown from 4 to 30, thus contributing to much-needed employment in the area.

Tenikwa’s Wildlife Awareness Centre was opened to the public by Len and Mandy Freeman, the Founders of Tenikwa in 2007. Their objective being to raise awareness and to provide a sustainable form of funding for the crucial role played by the Rehabilitation facilities.

The Awareness Centre which is open to the public, plays a pivotal role having devised several programmes focusing on conservation-based tours that are informative, thought-provoking and enriching.