AHF in Beeld

Wolfplaas veg om oorlewing

Artikel in Afrikaans

Oorlewingstryd om wolweplaas te red

Dit is ’n melodie wat be-staan van die vroegste van tye, gevul met die misterie van ’n oersiel vir wie die stryd om oorlewing nooit verby is nie. Mense verstaan nie altyd die sielroerende huilklank nie en daarom moet mense soos Lexi en Ronnie Austen van die All Hearts-stigting (AHF) nie net red waar mense iets edels soos ’n wolf in ’n troeteldier probeer verander nie, maar ook verkoop vir geblikte jag – selfs in Suid-Afrika.

Die AHF is ’n paar jaar gelede as ’n organisasie sonder winsbe-jag begin om ’n trop Kanadese gryswolwe van verdoemenis te red. Hulle het besluit hulle “belê in die diere – alle diere – se toe-koms”.

Dit het begin met die een trop wolwe, sê Lexi en beduie na die eerste kamp waar die “brandwagte” waaksaam nader trippel – “blaffend” en oë priemend deur die gras om die res van die trop in te lig daar is iemand na-by.

Dit is die AHF se “aanvangs- trop”, die aanvanklike rede hoekom die stuk grond van meer as 21 ha in Hartbeespoort, Noordwes, gehuur is, met die opsie om dit later te koop.

Die egpaar het ook besef dit is nodig om mense te leer oor ekso-tiese wilde diere en hoekom dit nie ’n goeie idee is om so iets as ’n troeteldier aan te hou nie, insluitend ’n “hibried”, waar wol-we met honde gekruis word.

Nou leer hulle sowel besoekers aan die AHF as kinders op opvoedkundige skoolbesoeke: Die grasieuse dier wat by tye amper blaf soos ’n hond, vir die onkun-dige oog lyk soos ’n hond en soms optree soos ’n hond, bly ’n wolf waarvan die “wilde geen” altyd sterk sal wees.

Wolwe het baie ruimte nodig, asook ’n trop met ’n natuurlike, instinktiewe struktuur. Hulle het ander gedragspatrone en ’n ander dieet as honde, sê Lexi.

“Hulle hoort nie in die agter-plaas van ’n huis nie.”

Dis nie ’n waghond of ’n troeteldier nie.

Lexi en Ronnie was nog altyd betrokke by dierewelsyn. Toe hoor hulle van die 16 gryswolwe wat behoort aan ’n roofdierpark wat gelikwideer is.

Die wolwe sou aan jagters verkoop word.

Dit is nie moeilik om eksotiese diere soos wolwe vanuit hul land van oorsprong na Suid-Afrika te bring en selfs as teikens vir jagters te gebruik nie.

“Telers en handelaars koop eksotiese (uitheemse) diere van oorsee aan. Daar is min spesifieke wetgewing daaroor, asook oor hoe die diere aangehou moet word.

“Maar ons glo eksotiese diere het dieselfde regte as inheemse diere,” sê Lexi.

Ronnie gooi ’n paar bederf-kos-korrels oor die hoë heining en sê: “Ons riglyne vir die kamp, byvoorbeeld, is dieselfde as vir wildehonde, want daar is nie wetgewing in Suid-Afrika met riglyne daaroor vir eksotiese diere nie.”

Om aan die eerste trop wolwe ’n heenkome te bied was ’n tydsame proses.

Die diere is reeds na ’n ander provinsie gestuur om in die jagbedryf te verdwyn. Gelukkig het die nuwe eienaar ingestem om kans te gee sodat die Austen-egpaar ’n toevlugsoord – en geld om die wolwe terug te koop – kon vind.

Hulle het die wetlike aspekte getakel, ’n stuk grond in Hartbeespoort gehuur, gesukkel om geskikte kampe op te rig en in 2016 is die AHF geregistreer.

Ronnie en Lexi moes ook self leer hoe om na wolwe om te sien en deel word van die trop sodat hulle die diere kon ondersoek en behandel, indien nodig.

“Wolwe is baie skaam diere. Hulle sal wegkruip van mense eerder as om aan te val – soos wanneer die veearts kom besoek aflê,” sê Lexi en lag.

Sy sê daar was al nagte wat hulle langs ’n siek wolf deurgesit het.

Veearts- en onderhoudsuitgawes – van die perseel, personeel en die diere – neem ’n groot hap uit hul begroting, veral toe hulle later nog wolwe onder hul vlerk moes neem.

“Jy kan nooit ’n wolf ten volle mak maak nie – en daar is telers wat baba-wolwe aan onkundige en onervare mense gee. Soms is die babas nog klein en kry die verkeerde formulemelk. Of eienaars besef ná ’n ruk hulle kan nie die dier beheer nie.”

Daar is gevalle waar ’n wolf ’n noue verbintenis met ’n kind sou maak en dan die kind beskerm teen enigiets wat die dier dink ’n bedreiging is, selfs familielede van die kind, sê Lexi.

Nou sit die AHF al met drie wolftroppe. Sommige het ’n suiwer bloedlyn, ander is kruisings tussen twee soorte wolwe (bekend as “splits”) en ander is kruisings tussen wolwe en honde.

Die hoogs intelligente diere, wat letterlik soos wolwe vreet, pas maklik aan by die Bosveldagtige klimaat omdat hul natuurlike habitat in Kanada self warm somers het.

Waterpoele en diep tonnels help ook as die son te warm bak. En saans, wanneer die Magaliesberg blou teen die horison toring, begin ’n wolfkoor jubelsange sing. Die “note”, sê Lexi, verskil, afhangend van wat hulle kommunikeer.

Hul wolwe sal nooit weer vrygelaat of terug na Kanada gestuur kan word nie.

“Waarheen sal hulle gaan? Wie sal dit doen en hoe gaan hulle weer volkome wild gemaak word?”

Eg aan ’n diereskuiling is alle manlike lede van alle spesies – en daar is ’n groot verskeidenheid daarvan by die AHF – gesteriliseer.

En geliefd.

Lexi en Ronnie ken elkeen van hul inwoners se unieke persoonlikheid en hoewel die skuiling herinner aan Animal Farm weens die verskillende spesies wat daar bly, is al die diere hier inderdaad “gelyk”.

Die “saamgestelde” trop skape in ’n kamp oorkant die wolwe dring skaamteloos aan op hul bederf-wortels, maar een soos Charlie hou nie daarvan om te hap aan ’n wortel waaraan ’n ander skaap reeds gebyt het nie.

Lexi en Ronnie noem hulle “afgetrede” skape. Sommige was nie meer goed genoeg vir vleis of teel nie. ’n Ander een se ge-mê het haar vorige eienaar rasend gehad.

Daar is poue, hoenders, katte, honde en ’n lywige vark – elkeen het danksy die AHF ’n oorlewingskans gekry.

Een van die dankbaarstes is waarskynlik Spirit, die Alaska-malemoet (’n honderas) met die windskeef tong wat gered is nadat sy met al vier pote vasgebind in ’n dam gegooi is.

Die Austens het ses jaar gelede self in die water gespring en die hond uitgehaal nadat gemeenskapslede hulle daarvan vertel het.

Spirit het in daardie stadium net 25 kg geweeg.

Nou, ’n gesonde 55 kg sterk, vergesel sy die egpaar op hul opvoedkundige kuiers by skole.

En nee, stel hulle dit duidelik, geen inwoner is bestem vir wolfkos nie, want jy eet mos nie “familie” nie.

Die hof het die Austens (en hul diere)tot einde April grasie gegee om óf te trek óf ’n koopaanbod te doen.

Dit is ’n kort tydjie om ’n wonderwerk – of die meer as R3 miljoen-koopprys – te vind.

Die inperking weens die Covid-19-pandemie het nie net skoolbesoeke en programme by die AHF nie, maar ook skenkings vir maande lank tot stilstand geruk.

Dit was ’n harde slag vir ’n organisasie wat afhanklik is van besoekers en liefdadigheid, en elke beskikbare sent is gebruik om eerste na die diere om te sien.

Vir die eerste keer sedert die AHF se bestaan het hulle agterstallig met huurgeld geraak en die eienaar het ’n uitsettingsbevel teen die AHF bekom.

Die hof het die Austens (en hul diere)tot einde April grasie gegee om óf te trek óf ’n koopaanbod te doen.

Dit is ’n kort tydjie om ’n wonderwerk – of die meer as R3 miljoen-koopprys – te vind.

“Dis die diere, die wolwe, se huis, hul veilige plek. Hulle is reeds deur soveel trauma. Toe ons hier ingetrek en verbeteringe aangebring het, was die plan om dit ’n vir-altyd-tuiste vir hulle te maak.

“Niemand het ’n wêreldwye pandemie verwag of die harde impak op die ekonomie nie,” sê die Austen-egpaar.

Hulle verstaan dat die grondeienaar ook ’n inkomste uit die grond moet genereer, maar daar is nie ’n plan B nie. Net om die diere te trek – na ’n perseel wat nog nie bestaan nie – sal ’n fortuin kos omdat ’n veearts die wolwe sal moet verdoof en spesiale vervoerreëlings getref sal moet word.

Indien ’n ander perseel wel so vinnig gevind kan word, moet dit ’n geskikte habitat aan die wolwe bied en kampe moet opgerig word.

“Ons het by die diere geleer om nooit op te gee nie, positief te bly en te klou aan liefde”.

“Ons moet eenvoudig net die wolwe se tuiste vir hulle behou.”

Dalk is die silwer randjie waarvoor hulle bid, iemand, dalk ’n organisasie, wat wil belê in die toekoms van hierdie diere, glo Lexi en Ronnie.

Dan gaan staan Storm, die een langbeen-wolf, in ’n gebaar van volle vertroue teen die heining op om Lexi met albei pote te high five, asof sy weet die Aus-tens sal haar en haar trop nie in die steek laat nie.

Article in English

Survival struggle to save wolf farm

It is a melody that goes back to the earliest of times, filled with the mystery of an ancient soul for whom the struggle for survival is never over. People do not always understand the soul stirring crying sound, and that is why people like Lexi and Ronnie Austen from the All Hearts Foundation (AHF) not only rescue wolves from people who try and turn them into pets, but also sell them for canned hunting even in South Africa.

The AHF was started a few years ago as a non-profit organization to save a pack of Canadian grey wolves from doom. They decided to “invest in these animal’s future, as well as the future for all animals”.

It started with the one pack of wolves, says Lexi, and points to the first camp where the “fire guards” are vigilantly tripping closer – “barking” and eyes prickling through the grass to inform the rest of the pack that there is someone nearby .

This is the AHF’s “initial pack”, and the reason why this piece of land of more than 21ha in Hartbeespoort, North-West was leased, with the option to buy it later.

The couple also realized that it was necessary to teach people about exotic wildlife, and why it is not a good idea to keep such an animal as a pet, including a “hybrid”, where a wolf is crossed with a dog.

Now they teach as many visitors to the AHF as they can, including children on educational school tours. This graceful animal that at times almost barks like a dog, and to the ignorant eye looks like a dog and sometimes acts like a dog, remains a wolf of which the “wild gene” will always be strong.

Wolves need a lot of space, as well as a pack with a natural, instinctive structure. They have different behaviours and a different diet than dogs, says Lexi.

“They do not belong in the backyard of a house.”

It’s not a guard dog or a pet.

Lexi and Ronnie have always been involved in animal welfare. They then heard about the 16 grey wolves belonging to a predator park that had been liquidated.

The wolves would have been sold to hunters.

It is not difficult to bring exotic animals such as wolves from their original (native) country to South Africa, and even use them as target practice for hunters.

“Breeders and traders buy exotic and foreign animals from overseas. There is little specific legislation about it, as well as how these animals should be kept.

“But we believe exotic animals have the same rights as native animals,” says Lexi.

Ronnie throws some dog pellets over the high fence and says: “Our guidelines for the camp, for example, are the same as for wild dogs, because there is no legislation in South Africa with guidelines for exotic animals.”

Providing a shelter for the first pack of wolves was a time-consuming process.

The animals were sent to another province to disappear from the hunting trade. Fortunately, the new owner agreed to give the Austen couple a chance to find refuge – and money to buy back the wolves.

They tackled the legal aspects, rented a piece of land in Hartbeespoort, struggled to set up suitable camps and in 2016 the AHF was registered.

Ronnie and Lexi also had to learn how to look after wolves and had to become part of the pack so that they could examine and treat the animals, if necessary.

“Wolves are very shy animals. “They will hide from people rather than attack – like when the vet comes to visit,” says Lexi and laughs.

She says there have been nights that they spent tending to a sick wolf.

Veterinary and maintenance expenses – for the premises, staff, and the animals – take a big bite out of their budget, especially when they later had to take more wolves under their wing.

“You can never fully tame a wolf – and there are breeders who give baby wolves to ignorant and inexperienced people. Sometimes the babies are still small and get the wrong milk formula. Or owners realize after a while that they cannot control the animal.“

There are cases where a wolf would make a close connection with a child and then protect the child from anything that the animal thinks is a threat, even relatives of the child, says Lexi.

Now the AHF is sitting with three wolf packs. Some have a pure blood-line, others are crossed between two types of wolves (known as “splits”) and others are crossed between wolves and dogs.

These highly intelligent animals, which literally eat like wolves, adapt easily to the bushveld-like climate because their natural habitat in Canada itself has hot summers.

Water pools and deep tunnels also help if the sun is baking too hot. And at night, when the Magaliesberg is blue against the horizon tower, a wolf choir begins to sing songs of rejoicing. The “notes”, says Lexi, differ depending on what they communicate.

Their wolves will never be released or sent back to Canada.

“Where will they go? Who will do it and how will they be made completely wild again? ”

True to an animal shelter, all male members of all species – and there is a large variety of them at the AHF – have been sterilized.

And loved.

Lexi and Ronnie know each of their unique personalities of their inhabitants and although the shelter is reminiscent of Animal Farm due to the different species that live there, all the animals here are indeed “equal”.

The “composite” flock of sheep in a camp opposite the wolves, shamelessly get spoilt with carrots, but one like “Charlie” does not like to bite on a carrot that another sheep has already bitten.

Lexi and Ronnie call them “retired” sheep. Some were no longer good enough for meat or breeding. Another one’s gem had her previous owner furious.

There are peahens, chickens, cats, dogs, and a bulky pig – each got a chance to survive thanks to the AHF.

One of the most grateful is probably Spirit, the Alaska Malamute (a dog breed) with the windswept tongue that was rescued after she was thrown into a river (dam,) with all four legs tied with wire.

The Austen’s themselves jumped into the water six years ago and took the dog out after community members told them about it.

Spirit only weighed 25 kg at that time.

Now, a healthy 55 kg strong, she accompanies the couple on their educational visits to schools.

And no, they make it clear, no resident is destined for wolf food, because you do not eat “family”.

The court granted the Austen’s (and their animals) until the end of April to either move or make a offer to purchase.

It is a short time to find a miracle – or the more than R3 million purchase price.

The restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic not only brought school visits and programs at the AHF to a halt, but also stopped donations for months.

It was a hard blow for an organization that depends on visitors and charity, and every available penny was used to look after the animals first.

For the first time since the AHF’s existence, they fell into arrears with rent and the owner obtained an eviction order against the AHF.

The court granted the Austen’s (and their animals) until the end of April to either move or make an offer to purchase.

It is a very short time to find a miracle – or the more than R3 million purchase price.

“It is the home of the animals, the wolves, their safe place. They have already been through so much trauma. When we moved in here and made improvements, the plan was to make it a forever home for them.

“Nobody expected a global pandemic or the severe impact on the economy,” said the Austen couple.

They understand that the landowner must also generate an income from the land, but there is no plan B. Just moving the animals – to a site that does not yet exist – will cost a fortune because a veterinarian will have to dart the wolves and special transport arrangements will have to be made.

If another premises can be found quickly, it must provide a suitable habitat for the wolves and camps need be set up.

“We learned from the animals to never give up, stay positive and cling to love”.

“We simply have to keep the wolves’ home for them.”

Maybe the silver lining that they are praying for is someone, maybe an organization, that wants to invest in the future of these animals, Lexi and Ronnie believe.

Then Storm, the one long-legged wolf, stands up in a gesture of full confidence against the fence to high five with both paws, as if she knew the Austen’s would not let her and her pack down.