ONE WOMAN ARMY of BushQuip
Inspired by her son’s capture of a giraffe, local Howick resident, Pam Curtis began manufacturing animal hoods to cover the eyes of the animals being captured, to block out the light and calm them down.
Now she is one of the few worldwide suppliers of these and other specialised handmade products used for animals during their capture.
Curtis has been supplying specialised animal hoods since 2013 and her products have since diversified and have been used all over Africa and overseas.
Some of the specialised animal products include hoods, hobbles, carry sails and blankets for capture, translocation and veterinary work to varying wildlife organisations, which also get shipped overseas to the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
Among her range are also specialised raptor hoods, wing straps and an abbas.
The latter product is a fabric wrap that has wing pockets and elastic tape for the effective, safe restraint of raptors and other large birds. Her inspiration for the hoods came after she identified a need for light deprivation.
“It was after a giraffe capture where Clive [her son] was the manager, did I see a need for light deprivation,” she said.
She explained that covering an animal’s eyes brings on a calming effect and allows for easier transportation and handling, where the animal is less likely to hurt itself and those around it.
“I use high quality materials and sew everything using my industrial sewing machine. I do this by myself like a one-manband,” she said.
As Curtis cannot always go out to get the measurements for hoods or wing straps, she relies on vets to do them and send it through to her.
On one of the rare times Curtis was able to join a capture, she witnessed
Pa r s an al enhsas oonero sh and one o an ar n he rod on
and rea on o he s e al sed hoods sed n a e a res ve er nar or and ranslo a on Phoo lve rs a g ra ff e at Albert Falls being captured.
“It ran into the dam. The whole team needed to get it out of the mud, make sure its neck was above water and that it could stand up on its own,” she said.
In the future, Curtis aims to remain African-based and take in suggestions to specialise her hoods and other products.
“I love doing those and suggestions always keep coming in,” she said.
Curtis makes various donations to a variety of organisations by supplying her products free of charge to them.
“I’m a huge wildlife warrior and those who are protecting animals, I’m right behind them,” she
said.