Blue duiker mauled to death in Palmiet

The Palmiet Nature Reserve is counting its losses after a male blue duiker was attacked and killed on Thursday, 17 July at the reserve.

This is despite months of warning and appeals to residents living near the Palmiet Nature Reserve to keep their dogs out of the reserve

The devastating discovery was made by Johannes Sihlangu, one of the reserve’s field rangers, at approximately 10.30am.

Bite marks were found on the creature’s neck and dog spoor was found around the carcass.

According to Sihlangu they also spotted two familiar dogs in the reserve the day before and chased them from the premises.

“I feel sad. It is our job to look after and protect the animals in the reserve. We don’t want anything to come in and hurt or kill them. What is more frustrating is that the dogs simply killed the duiker. They were not hungry, they did not eat it,” he said.

The death of a male duiker could have a devastating effect on the endangered species, argued Warren Friedman, an honorary ranger and member of the Palmiet Nature Reserve management committee.

“The fact that it is a male makes the killing so much more devastating, as it is mating season and this death could negatively impact an entire generation,” he said.

Nospiho Ndzimbomvu, the conservation officer at the Palmiet Nature Reserve, echoed Friedman’s statement, “The duikers’ reproduction could be affected as there are fewer males. It messes with the procreation ratio,” she said.

The dogs also wreak havoc in the reserve even when they don’t attack or kill the fauna added Friedman.

“When they wander through the reserve they disturb the area. The animals don’t return to that area and then the habitat and the animal’s nutrition is destroyed,” he said.

Following the death of the duiker the reserve staff will be “tightening the screws” on its protection of the animals, reported Ndzimbomvu.

“The reserve is not only an urban nature reserve, but also a protected area, according to the national biodiversity act. We have the right to shoot dogs in the reserve on sight. But we have been lenient, to prevent animosity and fatalities,” she said.

Dog owners can also be fined or arrested, should their dogs be found within the reserve. As of Friday, the field rangers have set up traps within the reserve to capture the wandering dogs.

“We will then attempt to track down their owners, and implement an appropriate penalty, or if owners can not be found they will be taken to the SPCA,” said Ndzimbomvu.

The staff at the reserve have in recent months noticed a decline in the blue duiker population, and Ndzimbomvu suspects that the dogs could be partially responsible.

“This is the first duiker found killed by dogs in years, but there could be many that we haven’t found. The problem is that we just don’t know,” she said.

Jean Senogles, a Westville Conservancy member, was outraged at the duiker’s death.

“It is unforgivable that people who have dogs don’t take care of them and then they come into the reserve, destroying rate payers’ property,” she said.