News24 | WATCH | Inside Johannesburg’s Wildlife Veterinary Hospital

Across South Africa, wild animals are injured, poached and pushed out of their natural spaces, but at the Johannesburg Veterinary Hospital they have the chance to rehabilitate.

• Dr Karin Lourens founded the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital nearly nine years ago with the belief that “wildlife should be wild — even if it’s the smallest bird, the smallest bat”.
• The facility has treated more than 16 200 animals in eight years and remains the only place in South Africa combining a registered veterinary clinic with a permanent wildlife rehabilitation centre.
• The hospital operates as a non-profit organisation, relying on donations and grants, and focuses on returning animals to their original territories after treatment.

At the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, the patient list encompasses a diverse array of species. In an enclosure, an injured owl blinks its one eye slowly, while a tortoise with a cracked shell crawls across the grassy area outside. Then there is the bashful genet, hiding away from prying eyes, unlike the sociable springbok, Daisy, who prances across the yard.

Across South Africa, wild animals that are injured, poached, and pushed out of their natural habitats have nowhere to go. However, at this small holding on the outskirts of the bustling city, they have the chance to rehabilitate before being released back into the wild.

The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital is a haven that offers treatment, rehabilitation, and rescue services to some of the city's wildest and smallest residents.

In 2025 alone, more than 140 different species were treated here.

According to Dr Karin Lourens, director and veterinarian, they are the only facility in the country that combines a fully equipped veterinary hospital with a dedicated wildlife rehabilitation centre.

She says that while many animals that they treat are a result of the expanding human-wildlife interface, they also assist those stuck in the illegal animal trade.

She added: “My motivation is, I really feel that wildlife should be wild – even if it’s the smallest bird, the smallest bat”.

When News24 visited the hospital, it was a busy day: three rescued African wildcat kittens were brought in by the SPCA, a haggard hadeda with a damaged wing was being seen to, and a parliament of owls, all recovering from various ailments, were alert and warned any passersby too close to their enclosure with irate hissing.

“Here, wildlife can get the emergency treatment they need as well as follow-up inspection to ensure they heal properly,” says Lourens.

In the eight years since its establishment, more than 16 200 animals have been treated at the hospital.

They also contribute to academic research and postgraduate supervision, along with a volunteering programme.

Lourens says people tend to misunderstand how wildlife behaves, which ultimately leads to harm.

“Like with the leopard tortoises, people often think that owning small wildlife, they don’t need permits and can keep them as pets,” she explains.

However, despite these challenges, Lourens believes cohabitation is possible.

“Johannesburg is one of the biggest wooded cities in the world. If we can learn to live with the wildlife, there can be harmony.”

As a non-profit, the hospital relies on donations, sponsorships, and grants. Undeterred by limited resources and a small team, their focus remains laser sharp: recovery and safe release.

“When we release animals, we try to get them back to where they came from. That is their territory. That is where they belong,” Lourens says.