Vagrants threaten beachfront menagerie
Mongoose man, Durban's Mongoose Man, animal lover, Neil Friedman, dunes, beachfront, worry over animals, Berea Mail, Durban
DURBAN'S Neil Friedman, affectionately known as The Mongoose Man, is terribly concerned that vagrants living in the dune bushes are threatening the lives of his beloved furry wild beachfront creatures.
The animal lover and his furry friends are a well known sight to Durbanites walking the beachfront promenade. Neil he started taking care of the mongoose population more than 15 years ago on the old Snake Park beach area, the last of the original dune vegetation on Durban’s beachfront.While the number of animals has grown from just mongoose living in the area to cats, birds and a very cute “inseparable” couple, the rooster and chicken, Friedman is worried about the animals' safety. “I have noticed for the past few months that the basins or water ponds for the animals is full of soap and detergent. They have previously been stolen so I have cable tied them but now I worry that people washing their clothes in that water will make it poisonous for the animals,” he said.
Daily trips to the dune bushes have been more and more upsetting for Friedman who has noticed many of the animals including, the mongoose, chicken and his cat Sparky sporting injuries.
Friedman said another concern was dogs being allowed to roam off leashes along the beachfront. He said the dogs manage to get into the dune bushes through the fence, and are eating the food he brings for the animals and in the process scare them off. “Last week when I brought this to the attention of a dog owner, he swore at me and told me it was impossible that his dog could have got through the fence,” he said.
