Animals under attack in Edenvale
“It looked like the birds were stabbed. Some of them were covered in blood.”
Four hadeda ibises were recently euthanised after they were shot with a pellet gun.
The birds were shot between December 1 and 4 and were taken to the Terrace Road Veterinary Clinic .
Dr Shabeer Bhoola from the clinic said the birds were put down because of shattered bones and severe muscle damage.
“We did not know what type of internal injuries the birds had,” Bhoola said. “Operating on them and keeping them for observation would have been stressful for them.”
When the first three birds were taken to Bhoola, he did not think much of it.
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Some of the birds had similar injuries, a single point of entry with limited damage to the body.
“It looked like the birds were stabbed. Some of them were covered in blood.”
He said the birds were all found at a complex in the Edenglen area.
“When I learned that the birds came from one area I became concerned.”
This is not the first report of birds being shot.
The NEWS reported on December 6 that a pigeon was killed when it was shot with a paintball gun.
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It was found in Lakeside Village in Modderfontein.
“In the past five years there have been 40 or 50 cases of animals being shot with pellet guns,” said Bhoola.
Cats are the most common victims.
Recently, a cat which was shot in the head with a pellet was taken to the clinic.
Bhoola said although the cat survived, he could not operate on it.
The cat has chronic issues because of its injury.
A lot of the smaller birds which are shot die almost instantly.
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“People shoot animals because they are either an easy target or because they are annoying.
“Outside my kitchen window I have a breeding pair of hadedas. Yes, they make a noise and yes they annoy me, but that is no reason to shoot them,” said Bhoola.
Captain Jean Olckers, spokesperson for the Edenvale SAPS, said firing any firearm, pellet or paintball gun in a residential area is a contravention of the Firearms Control Act.
“The suspect’s firearm will be confiscated and they may be arrested depending on the circumstances,” said Olckers.
Bhoola urged community members who hear, see or know of animals being shot to report it.
Community members can report such incidents to the SAPS on 086 001 0111, to the Edenvale SPCA on 011 974 9268, or to the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on 011 498 5555.
