Late on Friday night, a desperate call came through to the South African Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Forty-eight tiny swift chicks needed urgent help.
Gauteng, South Africa (27 October 2025) – At first, the odds didn’t look good. Their nests had been destroyed at a school, and the Common Mynas had started attacking them. That’s when Sigrid Oliver, a bird and bat rehabber based in Bloemfontein, dropped everything to respond.
She rescued every living swift chick she could find and brought them to safety.
For days, she cared for the fragile babies around the clock, but soon realised they would need more specialised help. She contacted the SAWRC, which then reached out to find facilities better equipped to raise the chicks.
Friends of Free Wildlife in Kyalami and SAWRC’s own centre in Springs were happy to assist, but the problem was transport. A call for help went out on social media, though the chances of success seemed really slim. It was late on a Friday night, after all.
“Within a few minutes, we had a post up asking for a lift from Bloem to either our centre in Springs or to our colleagues at Friends of Free Wildlife in Kyalami,” the team shared.
The story took the best turn.
After 10 PM, a call came in from a couple willing to drive through the night–an 11-hour round trip–to save the chicks. Gabbi Loyd and her partner’s kindness blew everyone away. All they needed was a location, and they were on their way.
“[Our CEO’s] brain short-circuited… not from the late hour, but from sheer disbelief. Who volunteers for an 11-hour round trip, through the pitch-dark night, on roads that often feel more like asteroid fields, with potholes deep enough to hide submarines?!” SAWRC recalled.
But that’s the best thing about people. Sometimes, we surprise each other in the most extraordinary ways.
Without hesitation, Gabbi and her partner hit the highway from Gauteng to Bloemfontein. By 3 AM, they were at Sigrid’s door. Seven hours later, the 48 tiny swifts arrived safely at Friends of Free Wildlife.
From there, the group was split. Thirty are now with swift expert Karen Squirrel, while the remaining 18 joined the SAWRC’s care, where more than 67 other swift chicks are already being raised.
“Sigrid, you legend! Under that crushing pressure, you held the line like a pro. Gabbi… just wow! You and your partner redefined what it means to show up. Whether it was instinct, impulse, or a touch of heroic madness… you didn’t just save those swifts, you reignited our faith in humanity,” the SAWRC shared.
Again, it’s the people who make this story remarkable. Sigrid fought through exhaustion to keep every bird alive. Gabbi and her partner drove across provinces without blinking. And the wildlife teams never stop showing up no matter how full their hands already are.
Because of them, 48 little birds still have the chance to spread their wings.
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