WATCH: Donate leaves, flowers and plants to Crow’s dassie infants
CROW's operations director, Clint Halkett-Siddall says these are all types of enrichment that helps them climb, introduces them to natural vegetation and stimulates their brain.
PROUD that the dassie infants at the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) were growing in leaps and bounds, nurses are encouraging residents to donate leaves, flowers and plants for the enrichment of the social animals. The centre’s operations director, Clint Halkett-Siddall, said the dassies were recently provided with logs, wildflowers and tyres.
“These are all types of enrichment that helps them climb, introduces them to natural vegetation and stimulates their brain. We are always in need of mulberry leaves, hibiscus flowers, blackjack plants, roses and indigenous plants for the enrichment of our dassies,” added Halkett-Siddall.
WATCH: Dassie infants explore in their enclosure at Crow
Dassies can eat up to 75 different plant species, including some poisonous ones, and their favourite plant parts are new shoots, fruits and berries, while they can eat bark if needed. Dassies look like large, heavily built rabbits with a maximum size of about 5.6kg and maximum length of about 55cm.
Their head is sharply pointed with short ears and they have a small tail, four toes on the front feet, and only three on the hind feet. Each back foot has a longer claw-like toe that they use for grooming and climbing. Their feet are well adapted for climbing by having sweat glands that increase their grip while running and jumping. A part of the underside of their feet can retract, creating a suction cup for extra grip.
Dassies eyes are unique as parts of the iris are shaped to cut off light coming directly from above the animal. This helps them to see predators coming out of the sun.
If you would like to donate any of the items for the dassies, contact Crow on 031 462 1127 or email info@crowkzn.co.za
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