THE unlawful shooting of airguns in residential areas has recently outraged Glenhills resident, Karen Werner. This comes after she discovered that two animals had fallen victim to shootings on Elderberry Drive in recently. According to Werner, her four-year-old cat, Volksie, had been the most recent target of the attacks.
She said she become aware of the incidents after she noticed a wound on her cat nearly two weeks ago.
“I saw her licking a perfectly round wound on the side of her body the one day. When I took her to the vet the following day, he confirmed that it had been caused by an airgun,” she said.
Volksie is still recovering from the ordeal, was left traumatised and skittish for several days after she was shot, said Werner.
Outraged by the attack on her pet, she turned to the neighbourhood WhatsApp group. It was at that point that one of her neighbours, Jenni-Lyn van Niekerk, alerted her to the fatal shooting of a vervet monkey on her property one month ago. The primate had sustained a single shot to the head and had to be euthanised due to the extent of its injuries. According to Van Niekerk, Steve Smit of Monkey Helpline confirmed that the monkey had been shot with a pellet gun.
“It was truly devastating. The troop hung around our property for two hours waiting for their friend after he was rushed to the vet. My daughter and I were in tears when we realised that the monkey couldn’t be saved,” she said.
Now Werner and Van Wyk say they fear for the safety of not only their pets but also their children.
“ What if they misfire and it hits one the children in the neighbourhood or our pets?” asked Van Niekerk.
Smit echoed her sentiments saying that as long as people were allowed to buy weapons without proper licensing the attacks on wild and domestic animals would continue.
According to the Firearms Control Act (Act 60 of 2000, Section 120, Paragraphs 3(b) and 7) it is illegal to fire an airgun in residential areas, or anywhere where it could pose a risk of injury or damage to person or property.
Lindsey Fogarty, of the Durban & Coast SPCA said, “Intentionally causing injury, or unnecessary suffering would constitute a contravention of the animals protection act… the perpetrator could face up to three years imprisonment and/or a fine of R60 000.”
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