Meet JACK, the Wildlife Unit Mascot

(2006-03-08)

The Wildlife Unit of the NSPCA recently came up with a strategy to serve the dual purpose of raising awareness and bringing the work carried out by the Unit into the eye of the public.

As part of the initiative, a great deal of brainstorming went into deciding on an animal mascot for the Unit. Naturally, more obvious choices were an elephant, a lion or one of the other Big Five species, but at the end of deliberations the animal that shone out as the one most representing the spirit of the Wildlife Unit was the Meerkat. The social structure and behaviour of the Meerkat embodies the work of the Unit – alert, gregarious, watchful and territorial. Anyone who has observed the behaviour of the Meerkat will have noticed at least one member of the pack standing on hind legs or perched in a bush or tree scanning the skies and land for signs of danger. The vocalisations of the Meerkat range from sounds of assurance, warnings and threats to alarm calls and the soft wurruck-wurruck sound indicating contentment - also representing responses expressed by the Wildlife Unit.

South Africa has a rich diversity of flora and fauna and the continual growth in interest in the Republic as a destination for eco-tourism and sports hunting, as well as being a source of wild animals for zoos, circuses, game ranches, private collections and the entertainment industry generally, generates welfare problems for these animals. The issues are major. They cover a wide spectrum and all require careful monitoring. They are the basis of the Wildlife Unit’s focus on wildlife.

Having decided on the animal species, the next step was to select a name for the Unit’s Mascot. Again, the choice was not an easy one. Jack was chosen because the name is often used to address an unknown man. Other meanings include: the male of various animals, especially a donkey; a jack rabbit; a tropical fish; someone who does odd jobs; and a short sleeveless coat of armour used in the Middle Ages. These meanings together represent the broad species of animals the Unit serves, with the coat of armour symbolising the protective nature of the Unit towards South Africa’s wildlife.

And so it was that Jack was born.

All that remained was to find a suitable image that would become synonymous with the Wildlife Unit. Jack wishes to expresses his thanks to award-winning wildlife photographer, Martin Harvey, for the generous donation of superb images of meerkats. Martin has photographed wildlife in over 38 countries around the world and is a committed conservationist. His support of Jack is acknowledged with sincere gratitude.

The Wildlife Unit encourages individuals, families, schools, clubs and corporates to adopt JACK as a symbol of caring and commitment to the wellbeing of wild animals. We invite you to share in the Unit’s vision and join us in our quest to improve the welfare of South African Wildlife.

Commit TODAY and sign up as a FRIEND OF JACK

For free membership and a periodic e-bulletin, send your email to:

wild@nspca.co.za

Kindly use the words “Friend of Jack” in the email subject box

Mail enquiries should be addressed to:

National Council of SPCAs
Wildlife Unit
P O Box 1320, Alberton, 1450, South Africa
Fax: 011 – 907 4013