Supporters are encouraging Brendon to get a GoPro or body camera – each rescue is as unbelievable as the next. This week, he saved and released a male jackal who found himself in the middle of Pretoria.
Pretoria, South Africa (13 November 2025) – The Owl Rescue Centre got the call from staff at an industrial safety supplies shop based in Pretoria on Tuesday morning. A jackal had somehow made its way into the shop. He was hiding out in the ladies bathroom when Brendon got there.
It didn’t take long for Brendan to gently capture the black-backed jackal with a net, pop him into his release cage and drive a few kilometres further to a nearby nature reserve, where he set the city-slicking jackal free.
Another happy ending for a wild friend.
As strange as it may sound to find a jackal in the city, it isn’t really. Over time, we’ve encroached on their space, not the other way around. Residents have said that they’ve heard and spotted jackals along the greenbelts surrounding Pretoria, as well as on the mountain range that runs behind TUT.
The Owl Rescue Centre, based in Hartbeespoort, is run by married couple Brendan and Danelle Murray, who started the non-profit organisation to rescue, rehabilitate, and conserve owls.
Over time, they’ve expanded their efforts to rescue all kinds of other wildlife too. Brendon, along with his rescue dog companions – Flash and Chikita – travel great distances to save animals.
The centre is focused on conserving all species. It recently launched Project Otter, a critical new initiative that aims to track, research and protect South Africa’s two native otter species. Read about it here.
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