The 50 Fund

OUR TIMELINE

30 January 2020 – The World Health Organisation declares a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

15 February 2020 – Onsite tourism numbers decline

11 March 2020 – The World Health Organisation declares it a global pandemic

15 March 2020 – President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa declares National State of Disaster

23 March 2020 – National lockdown is announced, and we assist our dozen volunteers to return to their home countries

27 March 2020 – National lockdown is implemented, and Cango Wildlife Ranch closes its doors. For the first time in history with the exception of sporadic closures due to flash flooding many years before.

28 March 2020 – We get local approval to certify select employees as emergency staff to look after our animals daily

1 May 2020 – Gradual easing of national lockdown is announced

15 July 2020 – It is announced that restaurants can operate under strict regulations, we opened our restaurant

7 August 2020 – As a zoological facility, we are allowed to open, with guided tours under strict regulations

10 August 2020 – We adapt our entire business model to cater for locals only at very low prices

For 3 months we aggressively promote our facility for the December holiday season to recoup lost revenue while local visitors trickled in

14 December 2020 - The Garden Route is declared a COVID hotspot, beaches are closed and visitor numbers drastically decline

22 December 2020 – Several countries restrict travel to and from South Africa due to new variant

Currently – Borders are open but we remain on multiple red-lists as a country not recommended for International Travellers

IN SUMMARY

Monthly overheads fluctuate between R1.8 to R2.2 million per month
6 months of no revenue
9 months of poor business and little income
12 months of cost-cutting, fundraising and innovative business management
May 2021 – It feels like we have exhausted all avenues
25 May 2021 – Launch the 50 FUND

As an organisation, we have done all that we can to keep our heads above water. The generosity and kindness of our supporters has been humbling and overwhelming. Never in a million years, did we envisage the year that has passed or that we would get through it. And although we are not unscathed, it does weigh heavily on our hearts to ask for anything more than what we have been blessed with. But here we are once more…

Launching the 50 FUND

Our goal is to generate donations that are affordable to everyone, everywhere. Just 50 units in the currency of your choice will go straight to caring for our beloved 3000+ animal family.

So why 50?

Well, the number 50 represents positive change and healing… and how we need this!!!

What can we do with 50? (Rand, for example)

50 - Feed 1 cheetah for 1 day

50 - Heat the Care Centre for 12 hours

50 - Feed 6 Meerkats for 1 day

50 - Animal Bedding for 4 porcupines for a week

50 - Feed 1 lemur for 1 day

50 - 2 watermelons for 2 pygmy hippos

50 - Buy a small heat-lamp bulb

50 - Enrichment for the lions for 3 days

50 - Feed 4 vultures for 1 day

50 - Give lorikeets supplements for 2 feeds

The point is, a little truly does go a long way. Please consider helping us today.

In closing, we just want to say a very big thank you to everyone who has been so kind to us over this past year. To say it has been challenging is quite the understatement. But our animal keep us motivated, as do you. Every message of hope, email of encouragement, donation whether monetary/goods/services has fed the heart, soul and spirit of every dedicated staff member on our team and in turn our animal family. We endeavour to pay the kindness forward and we thank you all for it.