BIRD-lovers will soon be able to get up close and personal with, amongst others, spotted eagle owls, black eagle, steppe eagle, harris falcons and peregrine falcons when the permanent breeding and night quarters facility for the South African National Birds of Prey Centre, is completed.
According to co-owner, Glodel Oertel, the facility - which is situated on the Rhino and Lion Reserve near Krugersdorp, Gauteng - will initially house up to 20 birds and will be open to the public on a daily basis.
"The centre's primary function is the rehabilitation and breeding of birds, but we also serve as an educational facility for those wishing to learn more about raptors," he said.
Seeing birds in their natural environment, believes Oertel, is preferable to seeing them in aviaries, which is why the birds are taken out to spend the day in their natural environment.
"Seeing a peregrine falcon, travelling at 100 km/per hour 400 feet in the sky, provides a lot more insight than seeing him 10 metres away in an aviary."
The public can view flight and hunting demonstrations by the respective raptors at 11h00 and 15h00 daily.
Oertel says the new R50 000 facility will be completed by mid-June, if "all goes well".
The centre is currently working at finding a corporate sponsor and construction costs were funded entirely out of their pockets.
Visits to the centre, located adjacent to the kiosk and Crocodile Pub at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve, are free.
(Adele Mackenzie)
