Founder of Chipangali Wildlife orphanage dies
Staff reporter
11 September 2012
Viv Wilson, the founder of one of Zimbabwe’s most well known wildlife
orphanages, Chipangali, died in Bulawayo on Sunday evening.
His son Kevin Wilson issued a statement saying: “It is with great sadness
that my father Vivian Wilson passed away at his home in Bulawayo. He had
been struggling with kidney failure for the last week. We all know his great
love for animals, birds and all creatures in general.”
Ex game ranger Viv Wilson and his wife Paddy created the wildlife sanctuary
in 1973 as a non profit organisation dedicated to the rescue and care of
orphaned, injured, abused or confiscated wild animals. The Wilsons said
their main function was to offer a home to sick wild animals and that
Chipangali was not a zoo.
”Wherever possible, rescued animals and birds are rehabilitated and returned
to the wild. If safe release into their natural habitat is not possible,
animals are cared for and kept for educational purposes and zoological
study. In the case of endangered species, captive breeding programs may also
be undertaken.”
Viv Wilson began his career with the Zambian Government as a tsetse-fly
control operator, and it was in Zambia that the whole concept of Chipangali
was born. The word means ‘open friendly country’.
He and his late wife Paddy retired from the active side of running the
orphanage more than ten years ago, in order to devote more time to wildlife
research projects, including the completion of a survey of the duikers of
Africa, Masters of the African floor, described as the most in-depth
monograph ever produced on the duiker. A mammoth work based on 12 years of
fieldwork, aimed at highlighting the plight of this species. The publication
contained over 200 black and white line drawings by Paddy Wilson and Janet
Duff.
Princess Diana was a patron of Chipangali from 1983 until her death. Actress
Stephanie Powers is a patron and ambassador for Chipangali in the USA.
Viv and Paddy Wilson’s son, Kevin and his wife Nicky now run Chipangali.
A memorial service for Viv Wilson will be held at Chipangali on Saturday
15th September at 11 am.