R.E.S.T. (Rare and Endangered Species Trust)
OKONJIMA AND AFRICAT
SUPPORT
R E S T
{Rare & Endangered Species Trust}
REST’S MISSION STATEMENT:
To initiate and support the scientific and practical study of rare and endangered species in Namibia, and to help develop and facilitate solutions to conservation problems, among these species at community, national and international level.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
If you or your business would like to explore working with REST please contact MARIA DIEKMANN, founder of REST & ask for their five year management plan.
- For tax free donation information in the US, please see our website.
- Any donation large or small is greatly appreciated!
- ”Build the dream” interactive Centre where you can buy & decorate your own brick for N$100.00.
- Sponsor a non-releasable ambassador bird for between N$100.00 - N$400.00 per month.
- Aviaries: A necessary quarantine aviary can be named after you or your organisation for between US$3 000 and US$5 000.
- Sponsor a satellite telemetry collar, name your bird and watch it making history for US$11 000 per bird for two years.
- Build and equip a laboratory for US$20 000. Namibia’s most endangered species...The Cape Griffon Vulture.
REST is a non-profit organisation that focuses on the “Forgotten 5”:
- Cape Griffon Vulture, Gyps coprotheres
- Pangolin, Manis temminckii
- African Wild/Painted dog, Lycaon pictus
- Dwarf Python, Python anchietae
- Spotted Rubber Frog, Phrynomantis affinis
Why is the Cape Griffon endangered?
The Cape Griffon Vulture
The local population declined over the last 50 years from an estimated 2000 to only 12 in 2001.
Accidental poisoning, intended for carnivores, remains the single biggest threat to vultures, because vultures eat together in large numbers and one poisoned carcass can kill up to 500 vultures!
Cape Griffon Vulture
ACTIVITIES:
- Join a talk by one of our guides and learn interesting and funny facts about vultures.
- Visit our ambassador non-releasable vultures and other animals and see for yourself how beautiful they are.
- Schedule a wild vulture feed and photograph hundreds of birds in their natural habitat.
Nominal fees are requested.
Please see the website for updated price lists.
REST welfare project seen from the road when driving to OKONJIMA
REST SUCCESS STORIES:
- First satellite telemetry programme for vultures in Africa.
- Hosts the largest DNA bank of old-world vultures in the world.
- A world renowned capture aviary.
- Houses non-releasable birds for educational use and future captive breeding.
- All captive-bred birds are released back into the wild.
- First translocation and reintroduction of Cape Griffons in the world.
- Monitored the doubling of the Cape Griffon population, in seven years, from 12 individuals to +/- 30 birds.
- Helped researchers from around the world with the Asian Vulture Crisis.
- Collaborated on major anthrax research.
REST started a supplementary feeding scheme in 2001 in order to provide a safe site for feeding & monitoring. Our “restaurant” (meat partly sponsored by OKONJIMA & THE AFRICAT FOUNDATION) is one of the most successful in the world with 500-1000 wild vultures feeding every week.
By having tagged 1000 individual birds, research has shown that we are not feeding the same vultures every week.
HOW TO CONTACT REST:
Namibia’s most endangered species...
REST
P.O.Box 178 Otjiwarongo, NAMIBIA
Tel: +264 081 367 9425
email: REST@principia.edu
website: www.restafrica.org
Bookings: essential: +264 67 306671
REST is only 15km from OKONJIMA LODGE on the same gravel road. The perfect stop-over on your way out . . .
REST welcomes day visitors
Arrival between:
10:00 - 15:00 pm from Monday to Friday
10:00 am on Saturdays
10:00 – 12:00 vulture feed on THURSDAYS
Maria Diekmann and family with their star vulture REST has just celebrated their 10th birthday! Congratulations!