South African man finishes 100th sea crossing from Robben Island to raise funds for animals

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CAPE TOWN, May 21 (Xinhua) -- South African man Howard Warrington on Saturday morning completed his 100th sea crossing from famous Robben Island to the shore in Cape Town, to raise funds for Cape of Good Hope SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), an animal welfare organization.

The 57-year-old extreme sportsman, who was accompanied by his wife and skipper Elmarie and 8 other swimmers, started over-7-kilometer swim at 9 a.m. and finished at 11:31 a.m. This made him the fourth person in the world to finish 100-time crossings from Robben Island to Blouberg.

SPCA has always been very concerned about the abused or neglected animals, however, it still faces challenge to help animals live on the ocean, the animal lover told Xinhua before departure.

"I see first hand of the effects of the pollution, so sadly people have a lot of fun on the beaches, and they forget to pick up the rubbish. The devastation the effect has on the sea life is unbelievable," he said.

"We have a responsibility to the animals and to the cay, SPCA needs help as much as I can. They need people on the ground and they need people in the water," said Warrington.

The trip was also aimed at celebrating the 150th anniversary of Cape of Good Hope SPCA, which was established on May 20, 1872.

The organization's operation covers about 3,200 kilometers squares, and its work includes sterilizing animals to reduce animal over-population problem, providing veterinary care to help animals and improve health of their human family, inspecting in communities to prevent animal cruelty.

It costs the organization on average of 450 South African rands (about 28.5 U.S. dollars) to rescue and rehabilitate one wild animal, and its wildlife department costs around 1 million rands a year. Enditem

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