Hi, I'm Elli, one of the directors of Helping Hands 4 Wildlife in South Africa.

Every day, I pour my whole heart into rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured and orphaned wildlife back where they belong. Together with our incredible team, we dedicate our lives to giving wild animals a second chance.

Unlike many people imagine, wildlife rehabilitation isn't just about rescuing animals—it's about caring for them every single day, often for years.

At Helping Hands, we care for a wide variety of rescued wildlife, including vervet monkeys, servals, jackals, genets, mongooses, and many other native species. Alongside them, a few rescued farm animals, including our pigs and horse, have also found a forever home with us.

Our mission is always the same: rehabilitate, release, and return them to where they belong.

For many of our vervet monkeys, that journey takes around five years. It is a long process of healing, learning, social integration, and gradually preparing them for a successful life back in the wild. Every release is years in the making—and every single one is worth it.

Sadly, not every animal can return to the wild. Some arrive with permanent injuries that make survival impossible. These special residents remain with us for the rest of their lives, becoming surrogate parents, educators, or simply ambassadors for their wild counterparts. They, too, deserve a life filled with dignity, enrichment, and excellent care.

Feeding hundreds of hungry mouths

One of the biggest challenges we face is simply feeding everyone.

Every year, we spend approximately €12,000 on food alone.

This includes:

Fresh fruit and vegetables

Peanuts and seeds

Special horse feed

Dog food

Meat for our carnivores, including servals, jackals, genets and mongooses

Milk formula for orphaned babies requiring round-the-clock care

Every single meal contributes to an animal's recovery, growth, and future freedom.

Without proper nutrition, rehabilitation simply isn't possible.

How you can help

Today, we're asking for your support to help us continue providing nutritious food for every animal that arrives at our gates.

Whether you donate €5, €20 or €100, every contribution goes directly towards feeding the animals that depend on us.

Together, we can make sure no rescued animal has to wonder where its next meal will come from while it heals and prepares for a second chance at life.

From all of us at Helping Hands 4 Wildlife—and from every monkey, serval, pig, jackal, mongoose, genet and horse in our care—

Thank you for believing that every wild life is worth fighting for. ❤️