Left to right: Baby Logan, Daddy Hulbert, and Mommy Halina
Written by Marizanne Ferreira, who also supplied the photographs
Hidden in a large cooking pot, the tiny Grysbok* baby was kept safe by an informant with a heart of gold who cares for animals, until help arrived. This is how the first of The Valentinos’ epic rescues happened early in 2017.
Orphaned by hunters
I received the call and discovered that this little baby was barely a week old – he still had his umbilical cord. We suspected that his mother was killed by illegal hunting dogs.
The first priority with rescuing wildlife is to get them to a quiet place with as little human handling as possible. Too much human interference causes anxiety and stress, and this can kill them.
Luckily, this little orphan had no injuries, so I could take him home and settle him in. He had no problem suckling and I prepared the special milk formula for him, which he finished in a jiffy. With a full tummy, he was safe and comfortable, and soon fell asleep.
We named him Hulbert.
Tied upside down
A week later, I received another distress call. This time from the Animal Welfare Society, Port Elizabeth. Another baby Grysbok had been brought to the shelter.
I fetched her. She was approximately 14 days old and weighed a mere 1.4kg. She’d been found tied upside down, ready for the slaughter. This little girl was very stressed, and I realised the sooner I could give her a bottle and settle her down, the better.
I put her together with Hulbert and the two were soon seen huddling together for comfort.
We named her Halina.
Becoming a happy family
The two soon became inseparable and were obviously finding strength and reassurance from one another. Hulbert trusted me, but Halina was always very timid and careful around me.
At four months they were both weaned, and it was time for a soft release. This means they have more freedom and have to start taking care of themselves, but I can still keep an eye on them.
Today, five years later, I’m super proud of these two. They’re free and happy. They’re often sighted together – and are now also the proud parents of a little girl Grysbok.
We now call them Hulbert and Halina Valentino with baby Logan.
All life is worth saving, and should you know of any wildlife in trouble in the Port Elizabeth area, please contact me on 083 446 6180.
*The Grysbok is a small, shy, relatively solitary antelope indigenous to South Africa. They weigh under 10kg and tend to live in bushy areas, where they can hide from predators. There are two types: the Cape Grysbok and the Sharpe’s Grysbok, both with similar reddish-brown coats. They’re unfortunately often the victims of illegal hunting, either from snares or trained hunting dogs.
