African Raptor Trust                    (No. IT 1467/2005/PMB)

The diversity of raptors in South Africa is superb, as great as anywhere else in the world. As a worthy icon of hope and strength, they are a part of our natural heritage of which we can be truly proud. The African Raptor Trust (ART) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and appreciation of indigenous birds of prey and the environment that sustains them.

The role of this KZN-based trust is to formalize, and provide a legal and financial framework for, much of the specialized raptor work that is undertaken in the province. This will ensure continuity to conservation projects and will allow formal fundraising to increase the quality and scale of the work undertaken. The African Raptor Trust currently supports three vital aspects of raptor conservation; namely the rescue and rehabilitation of injured or sick birds of prey, raptor education and public awareness outreach and raptor research and conservation breeding project work

1Raptor Rescue is ART’s primary working group and handles all call-outs for sick or injured birds of prey throughout KwaZulu-Natal. Raptor Rescue’s rehabilitation work is an attempt to redress some of the negative impacts that humans have on raptor populations through poisoning, direct persecution, collisions with fences or motor vehicles, and powerline electrocutions.  The rescue work is also an important method of determining which threats are impacting most on raptor populations. At present a dedicated raptor hospital, recovery enclosures and office is being built at the African Bird of Prey Sanctuary as funds come in.

2Any negative human environmental influence is pronounced on raptor populations because they already naturally experience up to 70% mortality in their first year of life. Captive breeding programs may become important to supplement these diminishing wild raptor populations. The African Bird of Prey Sanctuary’s large collection of raptors, under the umbrella of the African Raptor Trust, is available as a genetic data bank enabling us, through various research projects, to learn more about their wild counterparts.

3No amount of research or conservation effort is successful in the long run, unless the information gained is passed on to the general public. The African Bird of Prey Sanctuary undertakes much of this information-dissemination for ART. People need to see and understand the beauty and aerial prowess of birds of prey firsthand in order to appreciate them. And it is only when they appreciate them that people will be willing to protect them. The Sanctuary has many suitably-trained raptors used for this vital awareness work; they are either captive bred specimens or non-releaseable birds from rehabilitation centres. ART will be supporting the development of curricular linked learning materials and rural school outreach work to areas where severely threatened raptor species occur.

The following individuals hold office as Trustees:

David John Neville Smyly (Chairman)
Paul James Misselhorn (Treasurer) 
Shannon Trelda Hoffman (Secretary)
Michael Oliver Hilton Tatham
and Edward Angus Burns

The AFRICAN RAPTOR TRUST’s Non’Profit Organization number is : 053-515-NPO

and Public Benefit Organization Number is 930027969

Resources for Improved care of Raptors in Captivity:

Raptor Exhibition Guidelines (norms and standards for the public display and husbandry of captive birds of prey held in Conservation Awareness Centres.

Guidance notes and code of practice for raptor rehabilitators in South Africa

The objects of ART in accordance to the Trust Deed are:

"1. To carry on and/or to provide funds, assets, services or other resources to any relevant beneficiary for the conservation of African birds of prey, both in-situ and ex-situ of their natural environment.  This will include the rescue, rehabilitation, reintroduction, research and breeding of indigenous raptors, as well as the training of raptor handlers and the education of the public concerning the care, conservation and protection of birds of prey and the habitat that sustains them;
2. To provide funds, assets, services and resources to any persons or persons which have the same or similar objects as the Trust. "