RELATED LINKS: Zoo to auction animals The Johannesburg Zoo is selling some of its animals to raise much-needed funds. But the new owners will not be taking their buys home with them. Read more World in one place at revamped zoo The Johannesburg Zoo has begun an ambitious five-year upgrade to create a unique experience for visitors, recreating the diverse eco-zones of the planet. Read more Johannesburg Zoo The zoo is one of the treasures of Johannesburg, a source of enjoyment and relaxation for locals and foreign visitors alike. Read more A zoo house to go ape about Chimpanzee families really have something to screech about now that they, along with a pair of orang-utans, have moved into new premises at the Johannesburg Zoo. Read more Supporting the animals The primary aim of the Johannesburg Zoo is to accommodate and enrich wild animals and provide them with medical care. Read more Online Visit the Johannesburg Zoo website and see the programmes the zoo has to offer. Click here

Adopt a Joburg Zoo animal ANIMAL lovers are encouraged to adopt a beast at the Johannesburg Zoo. Funds raised will be used to improve the care of the animals and the zoo's facilities. May 3, 2005 By Tabisa Mntengwana ANIMAL lovers are being given the chance to develop a close and personal relationship with the inhabitants of Johannesburg Zoo - by adopting an animal. The Adopt-an-Animal programme has been set up to generate funds for the zoo and through it individuals, schools and corporates are able to contribute to making the zoo a better place. The cash generated in the programme is used for animal food, medical care and enclosure maintenance. Payments for adopting an animal depend on the animal adopted, and range from R250 to R1 000 a year for individuals and from R5 000 for businesses. Contributors receive benefits like entrance vouchers to the zoo, free parking, an adoption certificate, a photograph or painting of the adopted animal, a personalised plaque at the enclosure and a photo shoot with the zoo's chief executive officer. "The benefits differ with the categories and contributions made and if the adopted animal is removed from our zoo, the adoption will be transferred to another chosen animal," said Teresa Slacke, the zoo's educationist. "Animals can be adopted more than once by different people. "The ownership, custody and care of the animals will remain at the zoo and adoption values are subject to change." Animals up for adoption include the camels, leopards, bushbuck, brown and polar bears, birds, hippos, deer, seals, crocodiles, cape hare, chimpanzees, kudu, elephant, flamingos, hartebeest, and the cheetah, Angora goat, bongo, puma and jaguar, among others. The only animals not up for adoption are the lions, which are sponsored by Anglo Gold Ashanti. "Anglo Gold Ashanti paid more than R7-million for the enclosure and we have an agreement that the lions will not be adopted by anyone else," Slacke said. As part of the adoption programme the zoo also hosts 'auctions' of specific animals, with funds raised going towards improving the infrastructure, buying food and medicines, and animal enrichment programmes. For more information about adopting a Joburg Zoo animal, contact Teresa Slacke on 011 646 2000 ext 261. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za