The Owl Rescue Centre Needs New Wings

The team known for always going the extra distance to save wildlife is calling on South Africans to help them gain their wings.

Hartbeespoort, South Africa (02 March 2026) – When a call comes in from hundreds and sometimes even thousands of kilometres away about an injured animal, Brendan Murray loads up and goes.

The popular Hartbeespoort-based wildlife rescue organisation, run by husband-and-wife team Brendan and Danelle Murray, has carried out more than 20,000 rescues over the years, travelling across South Africa to save everything from owls and otters to baboons, tortoises, hippos, and mongooses.

They’ve crossed provinces in the dead of night, flown into remote corners of the country, and once drove 1500km each way on a rescue mission with only a slim hope of finding a baby baboon alive at the other end.

Last week, they launched an ambitious crowdfunding campaign called Wings for the Wild, with the goal of raising R2.1 million to purchase a new aircraft.

“At Owl Rescue Centre, we don’t believe ‘too far away’ should be a reason a life is lost. From the Kalahari to the coast, we provide a lifeline to wildlife in the most remote corners of South Africa. But right now, we are limited by the speed and capacity of our current aircraft. We are grounded by distance. We need your help to take flight.” the campaign shared.

The team have sourced a 1970 Cessna 177 Cardinal aircraft that would help them reach remote emergencies in a fraction of the time, carry larger animals, bring their full expert crew – including their beloved wildlife-tracking K9s, Flash and Chikita – and take on multiple rescues across vast distances in a single day.

It also means they can continue their growing national research and conservation work, including Project Otter, which aims to bring back two otter species that are vanishing from South Africa’s rivers.

“This aircraft will facilitate our national research projects, wildlife search and rescue projects, and ensure safe transport to ideal release sites where rehabilitated animals can thrive.”

The new set of wings would serve conservation and the protection of wildlife overall. South Africans are showing up to back the cause. Within a week, the campaign has already raised R153,556 toward a R2.1 million goal.

“In conservation, time isn’t just a metric—it’s often the difference between a successful release and a tragic loss. When a call comes in from 500km away, every second counts. Help us bridge the gap between a remote emergency and life-saving care.” shares the Owl Rescue Centre.

If you’d like to support the Owl Rescue Centre’s cause, follow this link. If you donate, make sure to leave a message!

“If you do donate, please leave a message. We have a company who has offered to print all those messages directly onto the new plane. Pretty cool we think!” the organisation shares.

Sources: Linked above.

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