THE escalating problem of unrestrained dogs is having a devastating impact on wildlife.
The Assagay Wildlife Watch records all wildlife sightings sent in to us.
Our last report had three instances of dogs either chasing or attacking various animals.
It included reports of wounded duiker being seen.
A further tragic example was the report in early October of a tiny baby duiker collapsing at the feet of a local resident.
Its ear had been bitten off to the skull and stank of sepsis.
It was rushed to the SPCA but did not survive the trauma. Further upsetting to this family was that in the next week an adult duiker was twice seen in their driveway and they felt it was possibly the mother looking for her baby. These incidents are sadly becoming more commonplace.
Where in the past there were vast open spaces allowing duiker to outrun their pursuers, this is no longer an option.
To escape, they have to navigate their way around a maze of fencing and confined spaces where they easily become trapped. Once wounded they will die slowly of sepsis.
This appalling situation could be easily remedied if owners ensured their dogs were confined to their own properties.
A huge part of the problem is that many dog owners refuse to accept that their dogs, while gentle and loving at home, become predators once free and on the scent trail of a prey animal.
Our wildlife will have no future without a caring community prepared to speak out about this problem.
Owners must ensure their dogs are confined to their own properties and, as a community, we need to pressure them to do this.
Trish Edwards
Assagay
