Celebrating Growth

Posted on Wed August 27, 2025.

This year has been filled with exciting changes at Cango Wildlife Ranch. We have welcomed new team members, celebrated well-deserved promotions, and seen students and casual workers step into permanent positions. Each story reflects dedication, growth, and a deep passion for wildlife and conservation. Our Ranch family has grown stronger than ever.

We are proud to celebrate the following staff members who have taken on new titles and responsibilities in 2025:

Students and Casual Workers Promoted to Permanent Positions

 

  • Montay Arries – Maintenance Assistant (10 March) 
  • Hermanus Ekstraal– Animal Assistant (10 March) *unavailable for a photo
  • Lesley Ann Jelander– Animal Assistant (01 May) 
  • Pippa Fourie – Animal Caregiver (01 June) 
  • Jackie Coltman – Kitchen Assistant (04 June) 
  • Yulan Kuyler – Wildlife Guardian (01 August)
  • Jennifer Barnard – General Cleaner (07 August) 
  • Jonathan Menzies – Wildlife Guardian (15 August)

Staff Promotions 

  • Dedré Rupping – Zoological Manager (01 May) 
  • Navin Winster – Head Wildlife Guardian (01 May)
  • Garrett Eriksen – Academic Programme Coordinator (01 May)
  • Pieter Hall – WAV Manager (01 July)
  • Jacques Coetzee – Assistant Maintenance Manager (28 July)
  • Zizipho Mey – Maintenance Admin Assistant (01 September)
  • Allan Plaatjies – Team Lead Maintenance (01 September) 

New Employees

  • Arno Engelbrecht – Feed Coordinator (09 March) 
  • Mandla Diamond– Maintenance Supervisor (05 May) 
  • Tsepiso Marenene – Assistant Curator of Sustainability (01 September) 
  • Vivian Hendricks – Team Lead Maintenance (01 September) 
  • Lu-Shane Uithaler – Team Lead Maintenance (01 September) 

Each of these individuals plays a vital role in the daily care of our animals, the smooth running of our operations, and the continued success of our conservation and education efforts. Their growth reflects the values we hold dear; dedication, passion, and commitment to making a difference.

To our newly promoted and newly appointed team members, congratulations. We are proud of your achievements and excited to see all that you will accomplish in your new roles.

Further Reading

A New Campus And It Is Only The Beginning Thu August 27, 2026

Oudtshoorn is about to gain a new kind of neighbour: a working campus, built on sustainability principles, aimed squarely at the town's future workforce. On 1 September, Cango Wildlife will officially open its new Africa Skills Cango Academy site to an invite-only audience of civic and business leaders. Four days later, on 5 September, the doors open to the public for a community open day at 291 Adderley Street. Locals will be...

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Making Waves Beyond Cango Thu August 27, 2026

At Cango Wildlife, learning is not something that ends with a qualification. It continues every day through the animals in our care, the people we work alongside and the knowledge shared across the wider wildlife community. For Pippa, one of our dedicated Animal Caregivers, that passion for continued learning is now taking her beyond Cango Wildlife as she begins making her mark within the broader animal-care community. Recently, Pippa was invited to...

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Two Peas In A Pod Thu August 27, 2026

How patience, trust and training created a special bond between Animal Caregiver Pippa and Patricia, our Cape Porcupine When Patricia arrived at Cango Wildlife as a tiny baby, few could have predicted the relationship that would develop between this little bundle of quills and Animal Caregiver Pippa. For Pippa, however, the connection began with something very simple: time. Bottle feeds, playtime, cleaning and every spare opportunity to be around Patricia became the...

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