Oudtshoorn's worst flood in 30 years has closed our doors. Help us reopen.
WHAT HAPPENED
On 6th May 2026, the Oudtshoorn region was struck by the worst flooding since 1996. Cango Wildlife, our 40-year institution, home to over 300 animals and 160 staff, took a direct hit.
Every single animal is safe and accounted for. Our team worked through the night to move them to temporary enclosures and alternative spaces. Not one life was lost.
But our facility is closed. It is badly damaged. And without help, we cannot reopen.
A devastating sight: All big cat enclosures completely submerged.
A heartbreaking sight, floodwaters spanning almost the entire facility.
WHO WE ARE
Cango Wildlife Ranch has been part of the Klein Karoo for over 40 years. We are a conservation institution - breeding endangered species, educating thousands of children every year, and employing 160 people from the local Oudtshoorn community.
We are not a corporate attraction. We are a living, working home for over 300 animals - and right now, those animals need your help.
THE SITUATION
After the 2024 flood caused R4.5 million in damage, our insurer removed our flood cover entirely. We have spent two years trying to reinstate it and two years upgrading our infrastructure to reduce flood risk. That work reduced the damage this time. But it could not stop everything.
We are now facing R2.5 million in losses and damage.
Our animals still need to eat. They still need veterinary attention. They still need their carers showing up every single day - flood or no flood.
Our team is ensuring every animal is safely evacuated.
WHAT WE NEED
We are raising R2.5 million to cover two immediate priorities:
- R1.5 million in structural repairs to our flood-damaged facility
- R1 million in animal feed and care while our gates remain closed
Every cent raised goes directly to these two things. Nothing else.
South African taxpayers and businesses: your donation is Section 18A tax deductible through Because of Animals Foundation NPC (PBO No. 930059712).
A compliant receipt is issued automatically.
International donors: PayPal, Stripe and card payments are available at checkout.
For Direct Bank Transfers:
Account Name: Because of Animals Foundation NPC
Bank Name: FNB (First National Bank)
Account Number: 6311 9934 213
Branch Name: Oudtshoorn, South Africa
Branch Code / Routing: 210414
Swift/IBAN Code: FIRNZAJJ
HELP US REBUILD
Beyond cash donations, we are appealing directly to local suppliers, contractors, and corporate sponsors who can donate or discount materials. The flood destroyed infrastructure that took decades to build.
Below is what we need to get Cango back on its feet.
Most of the following has been damaged beyond repair:
Building Materials
- Crusher dust - 12 cubic metres
- Building sand - 12 cubic metres
- 13mm quarry stone - 12 cubic metres
- 19mm quarry stone - 12 cubic metres
- Medium river rock for gabion packing - 18 cubic metres
- Cement - 150 bags
Fencing
- Clearvue fencing (2.4m x 3.0m) - 300 linear metres
Flood Control and Drainage
- Gabions - as many as can be donated or supplied
- Water pipes and fittings - 50mm to 210mm diameter, including elbows, 45-degree bends, stoppers and clamps (50mm to 80mm)
Water Storage
- 10,000L JoJo tanks - 6 units
If your business can supply, donate, or discount any of the above, please contact us directly at cpf@cango.co.za.
Every contribution - cash or kind - is acknowledged, receipted where applicable, and publicly recognised as part of our recovery.
Our CEO, Douglas Eriksen, surveys the catastrophic breach where our boundary wall once stood.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO, DOUGLAS ERIKSEN:
"This facility was built by my parents. I grew up here. I watched this team carry it through COVID, through the loss of our founder, through floods and fires and every crisis the Klein Karoo could throw at us. They never quit. Not once.
To see it like this - closed, damaged, our animals in temporary shelters, our gates locked - is heartbreaking in a way I don't have adequate words for.
Cango Wildlife is not just a conservation facility. It is 40 years of my family's life. It is the livelihoods of 160 people who show up every single day because they love this place and the animals in their care. It is a cornerstone of this community and of South African conservation. It belongs to all of us.
We did everything we could to prepare. Every animal is safe. My team is still here. But we cannot rebuild alone.
If this place has ever meant anything to you - if you have ever walked through our gates, learned something here, felt something here - please help us open them again."
Dedicated staff and volunteers facing the aftermath.