Our Founder – Rita Miljo
Rita Miljo
CARE was established by Rita Miljo in 1989, and her story is an inspiration to every person fortunate to meet her aquaintance. The sanctuary was started as a facility to assist all orphaned and injured wildlife brought to her by concerned members of the public and would not be here today without the passion and drive of Rita. Despite now being in her 80’s, Rita is still the driving force behind all activities at CARE and is still personally involved with every new case brought in.
As her Centre grew, Rita became known for her ability to
nurture orphaned baboons. She developed a method to integrate the animals into new troops that could be successfully released back into the wild, and is well respected in scientific and animal behavioural communities. She has also inspired many of the voluneers, opening their eyes to the fate of baboons in a world where where little value is placed on wild animals. Her dedication to the animals that she refers to as “nature’s unwanted little people” is tangible.
CARE receives no government or major corporate support, and is reliant on the generosity of concerned individuals and animal welfare groups to continue our work.
A Message From Rita Miljo
Dear Friend, Most of the orphaned little creatures that arrive on our doorstep have experienced horror and cruelty at the hand of man. They are victims of experimentation, poisoning, poaching, road accidents, hunting and illegal trade in wildlife, like…
- Zinzi – found on a rubbish dump, clinging to the decomposing body of her mother.
- Patats – welded inside a dark drum, so that the sangoma could harvest her faeces for muti. She had eaten her flesh on her arms in terror.
- Sybil – held in a 1m x 1m cage for 10 years, she was part of an experimental control group used to test inhalation of asbestos fibres. She had pulled out all her body hair through stress.
You may have seen C.A.R.E.’s achievements documented in programmes on SABC’s Carte Blanche, 50/50 and on the Discovery Channel. We also played a significant role in the rescue and relocation of lions destined for “Canned Hunting” as exposed on the British programme ‘The Cook Report’.
World-renowned primatologists are excited by the valuable insights into primate behaviour that our project is discovering, and the implications that this may have for other endangered primates.
But we urgently need your help to continue our lifesaving work.
Must we wait until all primates are as threatened as the mountain gorilla or chimpanzee before we give them any attention?
Are we only interested in saving a species when it is on the brink of extinction?
We appeal to you to make a donation to ensure that C.A.R.E. can continue this project.
Just R100 will provide a little orphan with food and care for a month…
R200 would help ensure his relocation and release…
Please help us to save our indigenous wildlife, it is our natural heritage and should be enjoyed by future generations. 
Thank you for caring,
RITA MILJO
Director
P.S. Any donation, goods, or services you can spare is gratefully received.