A FEMALE duiker was caught and died in a noose of stainless steel wire along the bank of the Molweni River near the Acutts Drive bridge in Everton recently.
“The scene shows that the animal must have survived in the trap in a particularly painful manner for some time. It was caught around the hips which indicates that it struggled for a considerably longer period than if the noose had throttled it at the neck. A comparison of the density of the vegetation and the lower sandy area of soil on which it is lying shows that the undergrowth was cleared by the scraping action of the forelegs over many hours,” said Richard Hancox. founder and committee member of the Everton Conservancy.
Hancox said that modern technology has made it possible to monitor this type of illegal activity by action camera. He noted that by using this method it has allowed them to successfully identifying perpetrators of crime in this protected wildlife area, which extends downstream a short distance to the boundary of Krantzkloof Nature Reserve. As there was no further evidence obtained, and there were signs of damage caused by carnivores, the duiker was released from the tree and taken to Kloof and Highway SPCA to be frozen and retained for possible legal action.
Local residents and supporting members of the neighbouring conservancies (Everton, Gillitts, Hillcrest and Kloof ) together with volunteers, competitive trail runners and staff employed in Krantzkloof Nature Reserve have raised the level of interest and financial support in protection of the Highway’s natural resources.
