animal care project
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Harnas is a safe haven for many throw away, unwanted and unloved animals. Domestic and wild. |  |
Harnas has established a safe haven for all these creatures where they will have the opportunity to recover, adapt and live safely. Harnas is literally the place where the lion and lamb peacefully coexist.
Harnas’ future possibilities, in relation to taking appropriate care of these animals, are bound to their financial standing. The Harnas vision has been an expensive project but seeing these animals recovering to their former glory is worth every bit of effort. Here we present you a brief documentary on some of the animals which are currently cared for on Harnas.
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During December 2007 Harnas received this infant female giraffe from a game farmer close to Gobabis. The farmer found this calf away from the herd, badly dehydrated. He caught her on horseback and brought her to Harnas where she was baptized “Klippie” (Pebble). Klippie now lives in the game camp where there are also a number of wild giraffes. |
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Sam is one of the first Lions which arrived at Harnas. After a routine blood test it was established, at a very young age, that Sam has Feline Aids. He is currently 15 years of age and is still in a very good condition. He has been separated from all other cats for years and through his story Harnas have been able to educate hundreds of people about Feline as well as human HIV aids, its problems, treatments, conditions, symptoms and standing in Namibia, Africa and the world. |
| Patcha is a Leopard Harnas received around 11 years ago from the Guest Farm Welkom near Gobabis. After several tests it was established that this leopard has hydrocephalus. A very rare brain disease where fluid accumulates on the brain and causes various effects and severity of illness to the animal. |  |
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This is Cleo, a Cheetah Harnas received from a farmer close to the Witvlei area. Due to the severity of a running accident. She suffered a brain injury. |  |
Her skull was cracked and over a long period of time she was nursed until all the blood on her brain had drained. She is now healthy and living a fulfilled life.
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Here you can see our amazing cheetah Goeters. He was brought to us by Mr. Von Solms, a farmer close to Witvlei around 20 years ago and was one of the first animals on the farm. Goeters has outlived most animals on the farm, including his mother, who was killed, and his sister, that died of a snake bite. Since Harnas became the home of Goeters he has been a bit of a loner. Despite several attempts to relocate him with other cheetahs we were advised to bring him back as he was comfortable, even eager to stay closer to home. So it came as a great surprise to us when we decided to try
again this year to put him together with 4 other females. Joanie, Duma, Pride and Cleo. |
From the moment of his first introduction he made it abundantly clear to the girls that he was in control and that he was definitely going to make up for lost time!!! So when Wicky walked into the enclosure some weeks ago to fetch some netting in the small shed, he was greatly surprised when he realized that Goeters at his mature age had become a father. Unfortunately none of the babies survived, as they were very prematurely born and had fluid in their lungs, but it was a bit of a miracle nonetheless.
| Over the past years Harnas has become home to several different tortoise species. People from all over Namibia has brought different tortoises to live here for various reasons. Common reasons for their injuries include being thrown from the air by raptors and being driven over. |
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Left: Gommie, the little Vervet Monkey, was received from a lady that lived in Ondangwa. She had given him away after her husband had a severe car accident and needed 24 hour assistance.
Middle: A Squirrel Monkey, named Mr. Nielson, was given to Harnas years ago. Mr. Nielson is the only survivor out of a group of 4 monkeys.
Right: Audrey, another Vervet Monkey, was also brought to from Windhoek. Audrey was held in a small dark enclosure over several years with a male. Due to several untreated eye infections her eyes were so badly damaged that she became completely blind. Several specialists tried to treat her but they were not able to change her condition.
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A Blesbok calve who’s mother was eaten by wild cheetahs. She was hand-raised and has since been relocated to the game camp. |
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Finn, the Steppe Eagle, was brought to us by guests who hit him with their car while traveling. He was severely injured and his wing had to be amputated. Finn has recovered well and lives in the permanent bird enclosure. This White-backed Cape vulture on the right, called Asem, was brought to Harnas around 13 years ago by a local Herero man. |
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He was trading vultures with a Chinese person for medicinal use. Fortunately the deal went corrupt and the birds were brought to us. Of the 12, three suffocated in the pipe they were being held in. The remaining nine were brought up on Harnas. They were then released into the wild. Even thouh it was years ago, they still visit Harnas certain times of the year. Asem however continuously came back home and eventually was injured. He now lives happily at Harnas with Finn in the bird enclosure.
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Left: Six of these Cape Foxes were received from a neighboring farmer from Drimiopsis. The pups were found after the mother had been killed. They were so young and small that they could easily fit into a coffee mug as seen in the photo.
Right: Doedoe, a White-faced Scops Owl that was received after the rain season of 2007. Doedoe had fallen out of a tree and suffered some serious head injuries. He has since recovered well.
| Banded Mongooses, a highly social animal, scout their surroundings for danger. These animals, similar to suricats and ground squirrels, are sought after by many people as pets. Because of their pack mentality they tend to be aggressive towards outsiders. This becomes a problem for the owner and the animals end up on Harnas. Most of them, like the ones in the picture, roam freely on the farm grounds and have formed big social groups. |  |
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Left: Tammy, one of two baby Caracal babies Harnas received from a lady in the Omaheke region.
Right: Over the years Harnas have received several Bat-eared foxes. In almost every incident farmers have killed the mothers assuming they were jackals, their much despised cousins. Unfortunately these innocuous little insectivores pay the price for being misunderstood.
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We received several cheetahs over the last years from farmers which have been integrated with the group of wild cheetahs.
A pack of brown hyenas, two wild leopards, various antelopes and many smaller animals have also been released into the Life line area. |
harnas animal clinic
The Harnas Animal Clinic was founded through the donations and contributions of people from all over the world. Over the years Harnas has performed several big operations in the clinic, saving the lives of a multitude of animals. Several private veterinary doctors and clinics contribute to the work on Harnas although the service of a permanent veterinarian is priceless. The Animal Clinic is not just used for doctoring sick animals but is also frequently used as a research facility to study individual subjects up close to gain an understanding of animal anatomy and physiology.