Cango Wildlife

04/09/2026

ONE DAY TO GO! 🎓💚

Tomorrow, the doors are OPEN! 🙌

Come explore Africa Skills Cango Academy, meet the team, see the campus and discover the opportunities waiting for you. 👀✨

🎓 COMMUNITY OPEN DAY
📅 Saturday, 5 September
⏰ 09:00 – 14:00
📍 Africa Skills Cango Academy
291 Adderley Street, Oudtshoorn

Melissa, our Academic Administrative Officer, is ready to welcome you! 💚

Come curious. Leave inspired.

CONSERVE. CARE. CONNECT.

04/09/2026

🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MELISSA! 🎂💚

Melissa’s journey with Cango started all the way back in 2012 as a student, before joining our team permanently in 2014.

She started as a Kitchen Assistant and, through years of hard work and a willingness to learn, worked her way up to Assistant Kitchen Supervisor and now Stock Controller for our restaurant. 👏

What does Melissa love most about her job? That no two days have to look the same! She loves getting involved wherever she can, staying busy, learning new things and continuing to grow. 🌱

Melissa, thank you for always being willing to jump in, get involved and get the job done. We hope your birthday is as wonderful as you are! 🥳

Please join us in wishing Melissa a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 💚🎈

03/09/2026

💚 THE MOMENT WE FOUND PATRICIA! 💚

After hours of searching, checking security footage, flying drones and covering kilometres on foot… there she was. 🥹

Fast asleep in a little hideaway near Cheetahland, completely unaware of just how many people were looking for her!

Remarkably, Patricia appeared to have followed the familiar routes she knows from her regular walks with her carer, Pippa. A beautiful reminder of the importance of husbandry training, routine and the incredible bond between animals and their caregivers.

To everyone who shared, searched, called, messaged and offered to help us find our prickly girl, THANK YOU. 💚

This is the moment all of us had been hoping for.

Patricia is safe. Patricia is home. 🦔💚

CONSERVE. CARE. CONNECT.

03/09/2026

A Historic First: The WAZA Annual Conference Heads to South Africa in 2027 🇿🇦🌍

From 17–21 October 2027, the global zoo and aquarium community will gather in Cape Town for the 82nd World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) Annual Conference.

For the first time in WAZA Annual Conference history, every institutional member in a host country has united behind a single national bid. The conference also marks WAZA’s return to the African continent after 28 years.

Cango Wildlife and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo will serve as hosts and coordinators, joined by Two Oceans Aquarium, uShaka Sea World (SAAMBR) and the National Zoological Garden of South Africa (SANBI).

Founded in 1935, WAZA is the global alliance of leading zoos, aquariums, regional associations and national federations committed to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats, representing nearly 400 institutions and organisations worldwide.

The 2027 conference will place South Africa’s conservation expertise, biodiversity, animal welfare, research and environmental education firmly on the global stage.

As WAZA CEO Martín Zordan said:

"The conference may take place in Cape Town, but its perspective, its expertise and its welcome will come from across South Africa.”

This is more than a conference. It is a historic moment for South Africa’s zoological and conservation community, and an opportunity to show the world what can be achieved when we stand together with a shared purpose. 🇿🇦🌍

📍 Cape Town, South Africa
📅 17–21 October 2027

03/09/2026

🙌

A Historic First: The WAZA Annual Conference Heads to South Africa in 2027 🇿🇦

From 17 to 21 October 2027, the global zoo and aquarium community will gather at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town for WAZA’s 82nd Annual Conference.

For the first time, every WAZA institutional member within one country has come together behind a single national bid.

Cango Wildlife and The Johannesburg Zoo will serve as the primary hosts and lead coordinators. They will be joined by Two Oceans Aquarium as the official venue partner, together with the uShaka Sea World, operated by the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) , and National Zoological Garden of South Africa, part of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

As one of the world’s megadiverse countries, South Africa offers a remarkable setting for our global community to exchange knowledge, strengthen relationships and advance collective action for wildlife.

Further information about the programme, registration and delegate experiences will be announced in due course.

📌 Save the date!

👉Discover the full 2027 Host Announcement:
https://www.waza.org/news/the-waza-annual-conference-heads-to-south-africa-in-2027/

03/09/2026

SOUTH AFRICA TO HOST HISTORIC WAZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN 2027🌍

South Africa is making WAZA history.

From 17–21 October 2027, the global zoo and aquarium community will gather in Cape Town for the 82nd World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) Annual Conference.

For the first time in WAZA Annual Conference history, every institutional member in a host country has united behind a single national bid. The conference also marks WAZA’s return to the African continent after 28 years.

Cango Wildlife and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo will serve as hosts and coordinators, joined by Two Oceans Aquarium, uShaka Sea World (SAAMBR) and the National Zoological Garden of South Africa (SANBI).

Founded in 1935, WAZA is the global alliance of leading zoos, aquariums, regional associations and national federations committed to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats, representing nearly 400 institutions and organisations worldwide.

The 2027 conference will place South Africa’s conservation expertise, biodiversity, animal welfare, research and environmental education firmly on the global stage.

As WAZA CEO Martín Zordan said:

“The conference may take place in Cape Town, but its perspective, its expertise and its welcome will come from across South Africa.”

This is more than a conference. It is a historic moment for South Africa’s zoological and conservation community, and an opportunity to show the world what can be achieved when we stand together with a shared purpose. 🇿🇦🌍

📍 Cape Town, South Africa
📅 17–21 October 2027

03/09/2026

💚 PATRICIA HAS BEEN FOUND! 💚

Our hearts are full, and all we can say is THANK YOU.

From the moment we shared that Patricia de Quill was missing, our community showed up. You shared, called, sent WhatsApps, kept your eyes open and offered your time and resources. People we know, and people we have never even met, were ready to help us find our prickly friend.

A very special thank you to Ubunthu Security Tactical Response, Alert Patrol Cindy-Lee Mugglestone, Blacklist Security Services, Cango Rest, Cango Retirement Village, Oudtshoorn Courant and Die Hoorn for immediately offering their assistance.

Cindy-Lee was even already on her way from Hartenbos with her sniffer dog when we found Patricia. 💚

Patricia was rescued as a tiny baby after being abandoned by her mother. Cango Wildlife and her carers, Dedre, Jenna and Pippa, are all she has ever known. She has grown up in human care as a much-loved ambassador for her species.

Our team searched everywhere. We checked every ditch and shrub, scoured hours of security footage, had drones in the air and trekked many kilometres by foot. Eventually, the footage gave us hope. It seemed Patricia hadn’t gone very far at all.

After making her way towards our main gates, we later spotted footage of her returning to the facility, continuing her adventure throughout the night. Remarkably, she appeared to stick to the familiar routes she knows from her regular walks with Pippa.

Those walks form an important part of her husbandry training, enrichment and daily care. It was an incredible reminder of just how valuable husbandry training, routine and the relationships between animals and their caregivers can be.

As dark clouds rolled in and our searches kept coming up empty, we decided to go out for just one more look.

And there she was. 🥹💚

Fast asleep in a little hideaway nook near Cheetahland, after her very eventful evening.

Safe. Sound. And apparently quite pleased with herself.

To every single person who shared, searched, called, messaged, offered help or simply hoped alongside us, THANK YOU.

Patricia is home. She is safe. And she is surrounded by the people who love her. 💚

Stay tuned… because we caught the moment we found her on video. 👀🦔

03/09/2026

🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FREDDIE!🥳🐆

Today we’re celebrating one of the hardworking faces behind the scenes at Cango Wildlife! 💚

Freddie joined the Cango family on 19 December 2022 as an Animal Assistant and spends much of his time working with our big cats 🦁🐆, as well as helping prepare meat for our carnivores on the blad.

His favourite part of the job? The big cats, without a doubt! After years of working alongside them, they know Freddie well, and he knows each of their personalities just as well. 🐾

Thank you, Freddie, for the hard work, care and dedication you bring to the team every day.

Please join us in wishing him a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🎂🎉

03/09/2026

🔎 COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NEEDED: PLEASE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR PATRICIA OUR CAPE PORCUPINE!!!

We’re asking our Cango Wildlife community and neighbours to please help us keep an eye out for Patricia, our young porcupine, who is currently outside of her habitat.

Patricia was moved into a new habitat yesterday and, despite all usual checks being completed, our team discovered this morning that she had managed to find her way out overnight. Our team is actively searching the facility and surrounding area.

Patricia was rescued as a baby and has been in human care her entire life. She is very comfortable around people and she is dependent on her caregivers for her daily care, which is why we are incredibly eager to get her safely back home.

If you are near Cango Wildlife, please keep an eye out. If you see a porcupine, or think you may have spotted Patricia, please do not approach, chase or attempt to catch her. Keep a safe distance, take note of the exact location and contact us immediately.

📞 Cango Wildlife: 044 272 5593
📱 Tammy, Chief of Staff: 073 990 3731
📱 Narinda, Chief Conservation Officer: 076 695 0286

Any information, no matter how small, could help us bring Patricia safely home. 💚

Please share this post, especially with anyone living or working in the surrounding area.

02/09/2026

✈️ Someone’s definitely heard about our Open Day… 👀

THREE DAYS TO GO! 🎓🌿

Come see what Cango Academy is all about at our Community Open Day this Saturday, 5 September!

There’s plenty more info coming your way, so keep an eye on our socials over the next few days. 👀

And most importantly, make a turn at Cango Academy this Saturday! 💚

Come curious. Leave inspired.