Vanessa Went the Extra Mile to Save a Dassie Trapped in Her Bedroom

Photo Credit: Pexels

Proof that not all encounters with unexpected houseguests have to end badly!

Hermanus, South Africa (10 March 2026) – Dassies (rock hyrax) are a common sight along Hermanus’ coast. They’re partial to sunning themselves on rocky cliffs but dart off whenever ‘danger’ – people, pets, other wild animals – approach.

It’s rather unusual for one to end up deep inside a suburban home in the middle of town…

The most likely explanation, according to Corlie Hugo, CEO of the Kogelberg Biosphere, is that the animal crawled into a warm car engine for shelter and hitched a ride into town without knowing it. Displaced, stressed, and chased by dogs, he eventually ended up in Vanessa’s home.

“Some people said they’d seen the dassie running around the area earlier. He was probably chased by dogs and then ended up in my house by chance,” Vanessa says.

Stressed and looking for shelter, he made his way to her bedroom. Imagine finding a dassie just as you’re about to flop onto your bed!

“He got a fright and I got a fright when we saw each other,” she says. “There was this moment where we just stared at each other.”

Vanessa’s first instinct was to get help. She made a few calls and eventually reached Corlie, who looped in Michelle Watson, Rehabilitation Specialist at the Kogelberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue and Training Centre.

Their advice was to close all the curtains, turn on the lights, and put a box with a blanket in a dark corner. Give the animal one safe space and let his instincts do the rest. It worked, and soon the dassie climbed into the box on his own.

Vanessa, her family, and neighbour Pieter Arendse all hopped into a car and drove to the coastline near the Old Harbour and set the box down near an active dassie colony. Then they went for ice cream and waited. About half an hour later, he’d figured out where he was and headed off into the rocks.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Cupido, the Dassie hero.

“When he finally went free, it was wonderful,” Vanessa says. “The biggest thing for me was that he wasn’t hurt. I would have cried if anything had happened to him.”

Vanessa named him Snoekels, after the way he kept lifting his little nose into the air to sniff out his surroundings.

She admits that many people simply don’t know what to do in situations like this. She decided to make the call for advice instead of chasing the animal away and potentially leading it into more danger. That’s the best thing she – or anyone – could have and can do!

“In the busyness of modern life, it’s not often that someone goes the extra mile for something like a dassie. Vanessa could easily have chased the animal out, where it would likely have been killed by dogs or harmed by people. Instead, she chose compassion. That’s aligned with the Kogelberg Biosphere’s ‘living way’ – where people and nature coexist with care and responsibility.”

That’s why knowing who to call matters. When there’s wildlife on your property or in your home, the first thing you should do is call a wildlife rehabilitation centre near you.

“Vanessa could easily have chased the animal out, where it would likely have been killed by dogs. Instead she chose compassion. That’s what it means to live in a biosphere – where people and nature coexist with care and responsibility.” shares Corlie.