Thank you to everyone who has worked towards helping the vervets this year. We wish you all a very merry Christmas and hope 2011 brings more hope yet again.

This is a special Christmas Appeal newsletter for people wishing to help in any way they can. We are currently looking after 10 orphans and expecting 2 more to arrive the weekend so it's been very busy and the funds are low.

VMF Christmas e-card with photo slide show of this year's orphans:

If you donate either £10, R100, $15, 12 Euros) or more towards lookng after the orphans as a gift for a friend at Christmas, in return, you or your friend will receive a Christmas e-card on Christmas Day with an optional amount donated towards this year's babies. The e-card includes a mini slide photo show of this year’s orphans with a Christmas tune. For those who bought one last yr, pls note it is a different xmas card with different orphans and the donation amount is to send to one e-mail address.

If you would like to help, please go to our click to donate button on our website www.vervet.za.org and select an amount you would like to contribute. Please then e-mail josie@vervet.za.org to say it is for the Christmas Appeal and give the name & e-mail of the person you would like the card sent to and who it is from with any special message. Please let us know if you would like the card sent on a different day (other than 25th Dec) or if you wish for it to be for another occasion please let us know.

Costs of looking after orphans include:

R150 for a tin of babymilk

De-worming

Food

Medical Care

R100 for a microchip

Enclosure / rehabiliation costs

Thank you from the orphans: Frankie, Mowgli, Johan, Ruby, Irene, Hazel, Laux, Nahla, Luka & Grace. Thank you also to all those people who cared enough to bring them to us.

Please e-mail josie@vervet.za.org if you would like to see the full list with neded medical supplies and other items.

• Rabbit drinking water bottles large (200mls – 1 litre approx)
• Pen torch x 2
• Two way radios – set of min 8 (
• Sponsored printing of leaflets and posters / adoption folders / calendar / promotional items
• Sponsored printing of logos for VMF vehicle
• Waterproof mattress covers x 4 single, 1 king size.
• Men’s raincoats / waterproof trousers for local staff
• Noticeboards / pin boards for education centre
• Lactogen 1 & 2 babymilk
• Albendazole 400mg chewable tablets (de-worming) – as many as poss
• Bayer Droncit injectable or spot on (praziquantel) – as much as poss
• Intervet Panacur horse granules or dog 22% febendazole (de-worming) - as much as poss
• Medical supplies - syringes, needles, e-mail for sizes
• Fleece blankets for babies
• Kitten / puppy nursing bottles (small teats)
• Cat cradles / sm & med dog cradles for surgery x 1 of each
• Stopwatch
• Wire top opening pet carrying case (for babies)

One last wish for 2011 is that more people start to learn to live with their fellow primates and other animals rather than result in unnecessary killing and cruelty.

Thanks to last year's appeal, we are nearly ready to move the juveniles (last yr's orphans) into their new introduction cage ready for them to be introduced into the enclosure.

We are still looking for bids for a name for the new orphan enclosure. The bidding is currently at R2250 and the enclosure will be named to the highest bidder providing name appropriate on completion of the enclosure. E-mail Josie@vervet.za.org with your proposed bid and name to enter.

• Janet King and Frank Jarrell donated $50 as a gift to Veronique Jarrell-King (volunteer 2008)
• Deborah Nevin - £15
• Didier and Frédérique Bertrand - donated 200 Euros as a birthday present for their daughter Gabrielle Bertrand (volunteer 2010)
• Royal Canin for sending some much needed puppy & kitten bottles
• Simone Kunisch - 25 Euros
• Natalie Caillault & her mum Leslie raised £59 and gave out many leaflets at a late night shopping stall in Oxted, UK.
• Generous donation by volunteer Jo Leech
• Hosbor donted solar lights for volunteer village toilet

Thank you to all our staff and volunteers past and present who have dedicated any amount of time or money towards helping the vervets.