Rita Miljo - conservationist - dies, Centre for Animal Rehabilitation & Ed.

[spiritedlulu]

Conservationist Rita Miljo, who cared for and reintroduced packs of baboons into the wilds of South Africa, died in a fire that destroyed much of the headquarters of the sanctuary she built, a sanctuary official said Saturday. She was 81.

http://www.sfgate.com/world/article/Rita-M...ies-3743711.php

[Space4Eles]

Thank you for posting, SL.
I see it is an AP copyright article so, unfortunately, we can't post any extracts here. It is well worth reading.

Ms Miljo's words in paragraph 7 ("Chimpanzees .... "), and those final 2 paragraphs, are memorable indeed.

Rest in peace, dear lady, with those you love.

[spiritedlulu]

Per IFAW Facebook page:

IFAW has learned of the tragic passing of Rita Miljo, founder of the Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education (C.A.R.E.), a devoted and tireless champion for the cause of baboons in South Africa and primates around the world. C.A.R.E. was established in 1989 as a rehabilitation centre for injured indigenous wildlife. Initially caring for diverse small mammals, Mrs Miljo became expert in nurturing baboons which became the main focus of C.A.R.E.’s work. She developed a method to integrate the animals into new troops that could be successfully released into the wild. Mrs Miljo died with her friend Bobby - a female Chacma baboon she rescued in Namibia in the late 1980s - in a fire that devastated C.A.R.E.’s premises. Bobby was the inspiration for Mrs Miljo starting C.A.R.E. R.I.P. Rita and Bobby - you will be dearly missed.