What do orphaned elephants, an injured serval cat and a domesticated cheetah have in common? They are just a few of the animals cared for by the Kilimanjaro Animal Center for Rescue, Education and Wildlife (C.R.E.W. for short), located in Moshi, Tanzania.
This is the only wildlife rehabilitation center in operation in Tanzania, and is the first animal recue center in the country. I had the pleasure of visiting this unique wildlife rehabilitation and animal rescue center a few weeks ago with my daughter, Sungura.
Sungura loves animals and has a natural ability with them. She has always known when when of our dogs is sick, or our cat is pregnant before anyone else even guessed! She dreams of a profession working with animals, so I knew that a day at an animal rescue center would be a meaningful fieldtrip.
Kilimanjaro C.R.E.W. operates out of Makoa Farms, which was known for horseback riding safaris and is now the home of Altezza Travel’s charity program, Kilimanjaro C.R.E.W. to rescue injured or otherwise harmed wildlife.
From the moment you step on the property, there is a clear sense of mission about the place. This is no petting zoo, the mission here is to protect and rehabilitate Tanzania’s precious wildlife. There are clear precautions in place, which can be odd for a first-time visitor :
- Please refrain from petting the very adorable dik-dik that may approach you
- Please do not speak when near the baby elephants
- Please don’t interact with the monkeys if they are mimicking you
Why? Because these animals are being prepared to return to the wild, and too much human interaction can inhibit that successful transition. That is why it is extremely important that visitors respect the protocols set in place by the animal caretakers, and precisely why this important animal rescue center is not a petting-zoo.
We first met some resident owls – a bird species that is particularly at-risk in Tanzania because of local superstitions that associate owls with bad-luck or death. The owls living at C.R.E.W. cannot survive in the wild because of human-inflicted injuries, or in one instance, the owl was domesticated by a human and now, as an adult cannot hunt and therefore would not survive in the wild.
I was fascinated by the interesting information I learned from our tour guide about owl anatomy, feathers and more! I never knew owls were so interesting. The C.R.E.W. Center is working to educate the local community about owls and fight the myths around them that keep these beautiful creatures at-risk.
Resident Animals
Next, we visited the resident cheetah – another animal that cannot be released into the wild. While it is illegal in Tanzania to domesticate wild animals (including cheetahs) someone did. Although this beautiful creature, aptly named “Handsome”, remains a dangerous big cat, he cannot hunt for his prey.
When he was discovered, injured at a well-known camping area not far from Moshi town, caretakers hoped to return Handsome to the wild. However, when they placed a live chicken in his enclosure, Handsome was terrified of the animal and not only made no attempts to eat it, but ran away from it! After several tests it was confirmed that Handsome only knew how to eat pieces of raw meat, and could not hunt at all.
Human interaction to domesticate this beautiful wild animal meant that he could not survive in the wild, so he lives at C.R.E.W. where caretakers share his story to educate the community about the dangers of domesticating wildlife.
Other ways humans cause harm to wild animals are careless actions – such as driving too fast on highways. That is how the resident serval cat was injured. The gorgeous cat has only three working legs since being hit by a car, however he remains very much a wild animal and true predator.
Rehabilitation
We saw a host of other animals: gazelles, young ostriches who lost their mother, a pelican with an injured wing and a small herd of orphaned elephants and some monkeys who are being rehabilitated to return to the wild. Kilimanjaro C.R.E.W. works tirelessly to protect and rehabilitate harmed wildlife. Every attempt is made to return animals to the wild, in a safe and disciplined way.
Caretakers with monkeys, for example are experts in their field and understand monkey behavior. We learned about one monkey who was being prepared for a return to the wild. Because of this, we were not permitted to see the monkey. Instead, only one care taker interacts with this monkey and soon he would go on a “camping trip” to release the primate into the wild. The caretaker would remain for several days to follow-up that the monkey was thriving and interacting well with its new environment and hopefully, a troupe of fellow monkeys. After several weeks, the caretaker would return to the same vicinity to ensure the monkey had properly integrated. However, if all human visitors to the center had regular interaction with this monkey, that it would reduce its chances of success in the wild – it would become too accustomed to humans.
It’s certainly less ‘fun’ to not get to interact with a cute monkey, but the importance of this animal’s safe return to the wild outweighs my own interest in looking at a cute animal.
My daughter, Sungura, has always loved animals. But this tour gave her a unique perspective and ignited a new passion for promoting appropriate interaction with wildlife and protecting the natural habitat and environment of Tanzania’s wildlife. She has had dreams of being a veterinarian for years, but that focus was usually on domestic animals such as cats and dogs. Now, her career perspectives have shifted to include a position that cares for elephants, injured big cats and much more! It is so encouraging to see that what we expose our children to can help to shape them and their futures – I anticipate great things from Sungura in the future, because of the interest sparked from her time at C.R.E.W.
Kilimanjaro C.R.E.W.’s mission to rehabilitate and rescue animals is certainly a worthy cause, and the educational tour I received was one of the most informative and interesting I have ever been on.
Learn about the orphaned elephants that C.R.E.W. is working hard to protect and return to the wild on this post, All About the Elephants.
If you’re seeking an incredible safari adventure in Tanzania, take the opportunity to see animals in the wild, free in the nation’s un-fenced national parks. To further enhance your experience, and learn about the important work being done to protect and rehabilitate injured wildlife, I highly (HIGHLY!) recommend booking a tour with Altezza Travel at the Kilimanjaro C.R.E.W. You won’t be disappointed, and it will only enrich your appreciation for Tanzania’s wildlife and deepen your understanding of Tanzania’s incredible animals.
Please tell them you were recommended from www.reelovestanzania.com, or ask me to help set-up your half-day tour, complete with an incredible lunch at the end of your visit!
Learn more about how you can visit, get involved or donate to Kilimanjaro CREW at the following links:
Kilimanjaro CREW Facebook page
Official Kilimanjaro CREW website (mostly in German)
BetterPlace.Org’s info page for Kilimanjaro CREW
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