Animal Angle by Sheila McCallum

Journal of the Durban & Coast SPCA

www.spcadbn.org.za September 2013 ISSUE

E:\!BMG\#Jobs\Adverts\2013\082013\BMG_SPCA02082013.cdr 06 August 2013 09:51:35 AM Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen

CONTENTS I nside? what’s

REGULARS

4 6 9 10 13 19 21 24 26 31

EDITORIAL - Shirley Bell PIGEON POST FROM THE DOG BOX - Chris Matheson PRECIOUS PETS DURBAN & COAST SPCA NEWS - Caroline Smith LEGACY NEWS HUMANE EDUCATION PROJECT - Laura Pretorius STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHISKERS Pupsky’s Page More WHISKERS Why do dogs try to sleep on their owners’ beds?

FEATURES

30 Editor........................................Shirley Bell Designed by.............................Flying Ant Designs, Durban, (031) 309 5385 Printed by..................................Pen Print Durban, (031) 312 6371

Look for this miniature blue butterfly in your garden

Long Service Awards

SPCA Open Gardens

Toad Jack B Nimble survives mammoth journey from China to Cape Town

What kind of people...? - Shirley Bell

Obituaries

Another kind of ‘factory’ farming earns appropriate retribution

Update from the NSPCA

Update on the Sow gestation crate issue

Shock for Cape shark divers

Orca pod arrives in False Bay

Turtle freed from plastic bag

Beachfront horse and rider engulfed in sinkhole

COVER: Here is Zeus in our new cattery. He has since been adopted.

Write to us at: P O Box 74495 Rochdale Park 4034 Switchboard: Inspectorate: Adoptions:

031 5796500 031 5796505 031 5796525

Fundraising: Boarding Kennels: Emergency after hours:

031 5796546 031 5796510 083 2126103

EDITORIAL

Increase in cruelty to monkeys

There has been increasing distressing cruelty to vervet monkeys during the past months, with several mercilessly shot, often resulting in their dying slow, agonising deaths. What kind of people do this? Recently, after my dogs had been barking for a couple of minutes, I went out to investigate and found an adult vervet monkey sitting hunched up high in one of my malaleuca trees and obviously in pain from a huge open wound in its lower back near its tail. There were no other monkeys around, which was in itself strange, as I am used to the whole troop going through my garden a couple of times a day and have seen them fussing over an injured monkey. This little soul was in deep trouble. I phoned Steve and Carol of Monkey Helpline, of course, but when I went back to the tree the vervet had left. I watched for it during the day, but it did not return. One feels helpless and miserable that one is able to do nothing to help a distressed little creature. There have also been reports of vervets being killed for body parts. Please report any instances of any cruelty to monkeys to the Monkey Helpline on 082-659 4711 or 082-411 5444 (Steve or Carol). When we keep silent, we make ourselves complicit. We have taken away the natural environments of vervet monkeys. Don’t let’s take away their little lives as well.

rain or bitter cold and frequently left without water or food within reach. Chains placed directly round the dogs’ necks as puppies are sometimes not lengthened as the animal grows. It is not uncommon to find that chains or harsh collars have bitten deeply into the flesh and become embedded so that the flesh is necrotic and seething with maggots. Please don’t turn away in horror and say: ”I can’t bear it”, which ironically is all too often the response of people who imagine they are too sensitive to be told of such appalling suffering being inflicted on helpless creatures. If we do this, we make ourselves complicit in their suffering. Read Caroline Smith’s report on page 13 for further details and then make these atrocities known as widely as you can. Tell your children. Tell your domestic workers, your colleagues, your social groups, your clubs, your churches. We can beat this cruelty if we care enough and work together to eradicate it.

A permanent home for Eseltjiesrus

I grew up near a common where donkeys roamed wild and am particularly fond of these gentle, remarkable animals. Being hard-working and hardy creatures, donkeys are truly the beasts of burden and are so often subjected to awful abuse and neglect. There are reports, for instance, that donkeys are trekked through KwaZulu-Natal on We launch a crucial anti-chaining their way to Lesotho where they often have short lives, overworked, neglected, and living unprotected in campaign mountainous areas where weather is severe. We need This is one of the most important crusades ever our own Eseltjiesrus here in KwaZulu-Natal. undertaken by the Durban & Coast SPCA. Public Dr Johan and Annemarie van Zyl opened Eseltjiesrus support is absolutely vital. It will shock readers to know donkey sanctuary near McGregor in the Western Cape that thousands of dogs in our area are kept permanently in 2007 in response to a request from the Cape of on short chains, often without shelter from blazing sun, Good Hope SPCA to foster two seriously neglected donkeys. Their act of compassion has blossomed into a sanctuary where donkeys desperate for care and a good home come to live out their lives in a deeply caring and carefully monitored natural environment. Some arrive with wounds, sores, illnesses or signs of abuse; some are just hungry, worn out and old. Eseltjiesrus gives them the kind of life they have always deserved. Many who love donkeys support the project via the Adopt a Donkey project and are rewarded by seeing a rescued animal change from a poor neglected creature to a healthy, cared-for donkey with a really good quality of life and surrounded by its own kind. The Van Zyls recently undertook Rescued dog, chained to barbed wire on a short chain, making movement to purchase a nine-hectare farm, almost impossible.

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

Visit our website

Helpmekaar Farm, just four kms outside McGregor which will become their permanent donkey sanctuary from January 2014. The sanctuary is now working to raise funds to build this new home for their donkeys to the highest standards possible, current financial reserves having been used to pay the deposit on the farm. Paddocks are being prepared, along with a Visitors’ Centre, Education and Training facilities, a Donkey Shop, and other initiatives that will help support the donkeys. To this point, they have been leasing land on Thornvilla Farm, and this has served them well, but they are increasingly taking on more donkeys and now have a waiting list. Helpmekaar Farm is just one km from Thornvilla Farm along the same tarred road. Visitors are welcome from Thursdays to Sundays between eleven and four o’clock. Visitors are often allowed into the paddocks with the donkeys over weekends, but this depends on the donkeys. The emphasis at Eseltjiesrus is always on tranquillity, because this is essential in the rehabilitation of the donkeys. And visitors find this glorious countryside with its vineyards, fresh air, valleys, rivers and mountains, and its prolific birdlife, deeply restorative. (Anyone who would like to know more, or is interested in helping in any way, can contact Eseltjiesrus at info@donkeysanctuary.co.za or call (023) 625 1593.)

not only the grounds of cruelty, but also because they are expensive and can produce misleading results, since the effects on other animal species cannot rationally be assumed to be equally relevant for human beings. In a world in which we are longing for change in many diverse areas, one often hears people saying: “Yes, but what can one person do?” There is, in fact, always a good deal that one person can do in small personal ways. History reveals that most important changes in society have begun with the commitment of a single human being or small group. We can examine cosmetic or body care items before we purchase. If it is not stated that no testing has been done on animals in the manufacture of the product, then the likelihood is that it has. We can do an Internet search and discover for ourselves whether we are being unwittingly complicit in supporting inhumane testing processes. We can write to manufacturers to ask that they consider operating with compassion, and to lawmakers, newspapers and magazines. We can bring it up as a topic in our social groups. We can teach it to our children. No positive changes ever come about by doing nothing about practices that lack compassion. Shirley Bell shirleybell@mweb.co.za

Animal testing in the cosmetics field is legal in our country

The testing of cosmetic ingredients on animals has been officially banned by the European Union, but the practice remains legal and unregulated in our country. Following the EU ban, welcome news is that Israel has also banned testing cosmetics or cosmetic ingredients on animals. Beryl Scott, national chairman of Beauty without Cruelty South Africa, says that this unacceptable testing continues to be conducted at “most universities, the Medical Research Council, other research facilities and private laboratories”. There are, she says, no statistics available here regarding the type of tests being conducted, the numbers of animals and species being used, or the areas of research. Andrew Rowan, president and CEO of the Humane Society International, reports that the organisation is doing all it can to stamp out this unnecessary animal cruelty and is working with “lawmakers, regulators and companies in various companies” in several countries. They have already managed to influence India’s Drug Controller General to issue a directive to eliminate testing cosmetics on animals; Brazil has created stricter guidelines; and interest is being shown by South Korea. But, says Beryl Scott, it is likely to be some while before South Africa takes the necessary enlightened step. South African law apparently requires that any product containing pharmaceutical substances should be tested on animals during the development process. Beauty without Cruelty is totally opposed to any animal tests,

www.spcadbn.org.za

PIGEON POST Nothing lost in translation! Dear Durban SPCA Thank you for finding me a lovely home. My short stay with you for three days was better than my first home as I got nice food, a clean bed, and kindness. When I arrived with you, my ribs were showing. Then I found myself in a lovely new home with a handsome brother, Kodi, for company. Our mother walks us to the beach every morning and every afternoon. He is much faster than I am, but he lets me catch up. We dig in the beach sand and roll in it, too. Kodi swims in the sea, but I am still a bit scared to try that. I’ll do it when I am more grown up. I have two beds. One is a big comfortable bed on the floor, and the other is a basket with pillows. I can also sleep in the big kennel outside which has a carpet it or have a nap under the awning on the paving if the day is warm. At night we sleep inside. I sometimes chew things or dig a hole in the garden, but my Mom says I am still a little girl and will grow out of it. (I am a year and two months old.) When she wakes up in the middle of the night, I get up and give her a big love, and then sleep again. We have lovely food: pellets, pap, chicken livers one day all mixed up, and the next day we get tinned sardines instead of chicken livers. Not too much chicken liver, as our mother says it is too rich. And we get a bone once a week. As you can see in our photograph in Precious Pets, I have put on weight, and my ribs no longer stick out. (I love my food.) Kodi and I love going out in the car, especially when we go to the park. Kodi is much too fast for me (but he looks a lot like me, as you can see from our photograph). Sometimes we go to a friend who has a swimming pool, and we’re allowed to go swimming. What fun we have. I was sick with kennel cough soon after getting to my new home and had to have medicine three times a day. Then I made Kodi sick, too, so he also had to swallow the medicine. We were coughing, but please remember that dogs get better from kennel cough if they are treated, and after three days we were fine again. I want to thank the Durban SPCA for finding me this lovely home and a mother who loves me. I will be happy here forever. xxx and lots of licks from Bella (See Precious Pets) Juliet, I would like to thank everyone at the Durban & Coast SPCA, as a whole unit, for the fantastic service I experienced, and for the compassion, which seems to be so rare these days. Please let everyone know. Caroline Ashmole (owner of Kodi and Bella)

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

One of life’s precious little miracles Yesterday my husband and 14-year-old granddaughter were heading home in peak traffic. She had just finished sport at DGHS and when they got to the Bluff the traffic was hectic. Seemingly out of nowhere a dog came right into the traffic chaos and in a moment of horror was hit by a car, sent rolling across the road, and was then was hit by another car. My granddaughter was beside herself, as our family are great animal lovers. Normally, one can’t budge in such tense traffic, but suddenly a place opened up, and Nev pulled in, locked my granddaughter in the car and carefully made his way to where this poor mite was lying injured. Nev could see he was hurt, but gently went to touch him… and the dog, in pain and shock, wanted to bite him. Nev sat down next to the animal, looked into his eyes, and said quietly to him: “ My boy, I want to help you, but if you’re going to bite me then I can’t. You have to trust me.” He then gently eased his arms around the dog (whose head was injured), and the dog let him pick him up. Nev carried him to the car, put him on the back seat, and they made their way to our vet. Nev was going to tell our vet to treat the dog, keep him overnight, and then Nev would take him to the SPCA in the morning. We have three dogs, one being a huge Boerbull, so thought it best to leave the injured dog at our vet to recover safely. As Nev walked into the vet with the dog in his arms and our granddaughter beside them, an astounding sight greeted them. A lady was standing there going frantic and in her hand she held a leash. Nev immediately thought that perhaps she had had to put her dog to sleep and so was distraught. Now here’s where the miracle comes in… the injured dog in Nev’s arms was hers...she had brought him to the vet for a tummy bug and, scared of being at the vet, he had managed to get loose and had streaked away up the road and into the peak traffic. The dog has recovered. And, by the way, there is more than one vet on the Bluff... Now don’t tell me that there are no miracles and unlikely but wonderful happy endings. Penny Fromburg Illovo Sugar, Merebank

Happy adoptions, precious memories In March 2002, I visited the Durban & Coast SPCA (which was then in Bellair) to look for a companion for our old white bull terrier as his pal, a female Dobermann, had recently passed away. There was a female Staffordshire bull terrier of about five years old who had been used for breeding and had apparently been taken to the SPCA by her owners with a puppy stuck in her birth canal. They never came back to retrieve her.

Visit our website

PIGEON POST

Although she had just had a litter and was not looking good, I persuaded my husband to come and have a look at her. I don’t think he was very impressed, but there was nonetheless something about her that made us reluctant to reject her. The next step was to see if our male bullie would accept her. They met in the grounds of the SPCA under the watchful eyes of Jacqui Dewar, who helped us with the adoption, and from that day, until our bullie died of old age, they were the best of friends. Max (Maxie) weaselled her way into our hearts and, after the initial reaction from my husband, she became very much his dog. She was a very lovable and sweetnatured dog whom our four grandchildren adored. In fact, she was loved by everyone who met her. When our bullie died, we took in an 18-month-old rescued Weimaraner, who also became best of friends with Max. Sadly, in January this year, it was time to say goodbye to our 16-year-old Max, but we had had 11 wonderful years with this sweet dog. In October last year, I was prowling the SPCA kennels once again looking for a companion for our two-yearold brindle bull terrier. I took a fancy to a little 18-monthold Jack Russell called Domino and, with Juliet’s help, introduced her to our male bullie (Monty), and they were soon inseparable. Domino has fitted in to our home as if she had been born here and can be a real comic, curling up in bed with Monty or even sitting on his head if she feels like it (and he just lets her!). Thank you to all the staff at SPCA for the work they do and for the opportunity to adopt these two loving, precious animals to share our lives. I am attaching some photographs of our two Durban SPCA specials, Max and Domino. Julia Barnett (by e-mail) See Precious Pets for Julia’s photographs. Ed.

Project Dog: change of name We would be so grateful if the SPCA would help us by publishing this letter in The Animal Angle in order to let interested people know that Animal Action Dog Rescue has changed its name to Project Dog. Although we have used our previous name for many years, there are now several organisations with similar names, so that we were increasingly receiving enquiries, calls and other communications not intended for us. Otherwise, we have not changed. We have the same two full-time volunteers giving their time to rescue and re-home as many abandoned or abused puppies and dogs as possible. We are ordinary people who are crazy about dogs and do our bit to care for rescued animals via our small but committed network of foster homes. Our volunteers work with extremely limited resources. For this reason, we work mainly with abandoned or abused animals and are not always able to assist with re-homing of pets. It also means that we re-home only www.spcadbn.org.za

in those greater Durban areas which have a dedicated volunteer. And that it sometimes takes us a little longer than we’d like to answer calls, respond to e-mails and tend to the mountain of administration that comes with animal rescue. Animal organisations are not in competition. We work for a common cause, and that cause is so enormous that there are never enough of us to cope with the extent of it. If all who care about animals would actively support an animal organisation in just a modest way, what a difference it would make. Project Dog Durban

Another happy new owner Dear Juliet First of all a huge thank you for all your kindness with the adoption of little Rosie. When she arrived, my Dad said she looked around as if to say “What is all the fuss about? I am just so happy to be here!” She was a bit quiet yesterday, but today she is full of beans, and you were right…she is just the most adorable, sweet dog we could ever have wished for. We all love her to bits. Will send some more pics next week. Thanks again, Jill Guerin (by e-mail) See Precious Pets for picture of beautiful Rosie. Ed.

Bats at risk as viral disease spreads I am so interested in what The Animal Angle has had to say about bats, because most animal magazines don’t even mention these fascinating and useful little creatures, and some people seem to regard them quite wrongly as some kind of vermin. I read on the Bat Conservation International site, which I first read about in your magazine, that the Canadian government has allocated $330,000 over four years to try to combat the effects of the White-nose Syndrome that has killed about six million bats since it began in the State of New York in the USA in 2006. It has now spread to bats in Canada, where it is being taken equally seriously. Bats play a really important role in the environment (and stories about bats getting entangled in one’s hair are just nonsense, since their radar would prevent their doing anything so damaging to themselves). This tragic disease could spread anywhere in the world, and we can’t afford to lose these little mammals that help so much to keep our environment healthy, not only by eating insects but because they help so much with pollination. Angela Inglis (by e-mail)

PIGEON POST

Praise for The Animal Angle Thank you for another interesting issue of The Animal Angle (December 2012) which I received in the post yesterday. It is very encouraging to read about the essential Humane Education work being done by Laura Pretorius, your education officer. The article entitled "Teaching children to live a life of compassion for animals: a teacher's story" about teacher Mrs F A Dawood is also so inspiring. The fireworks poster on page 23 is so striking - and the wording on the poster so true. We once again endured horrendous big bang fireworks for about six hours last New Year's Eve, despite the fact that new municipal by-laws limit the use of fireworks to between 11 p.m. on 31 Dec. and 1 a.m. on 1 January. The only solution is to ban bigbang fireworks altogether, because until that happens people will continue to ignore restrictions and will just do as they please. In The Independent on Saturday on the day I am writing this, there were two whole pages of readers’ letters and opinions under the heading: “A resounding no to the big bangs.” Are the authorities out there listening? Anne Hemmings Pietermaritzburg

More from Anne I was very interested to read in the December issue of The Animal Angle about Durban’s Mongoose Man, who also feeds feral cats along the beachfront.

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

In the Sunday Tribune last December I read an article entitled “Kitty kitchen needs a holiday stand-in” about feral cat feeder Joan Ladd, who feeds and cares for 46 feral cats at the old Funworld in Durban and pays their vets’ bills. At that time she was wanting someone to feed the cats while she went away for two weeks, so I sent the contact details to Lynne Goodman (AACL – Durban branch), asking whether she knew of anyone who could assist, but I didn’t get a reply, and there was also no response to the SMS that I sent to the cell number given in the newspaper article. I just wondered whether the SPCA could give Joan some publicity or whether they know anyone who might help in cases like this. As a feral cat feeder myself, I know how taxing this commitment can be, even though we feed only small groups of feral cats each day. Best wishes to you all at the Durban & Coast SPCA. Anne Hennings Pietermaritzburg

Last Will and Testament I thought this might be of interest for The Animal Angle. So often people feel that that they don't want to repeat the pain they feel on losing a pet and so avoid making a place in their hearts and homes for a lonely animal in desperate need of a loving home. This little piece (author unknown) reminds us that the way to get over the pain of loss is to take on another pet who will bring love and joy in its own way. Juliet Seidl SPCA volunteer

Visit our website

FROM THE DOG BOX Our new cattery

As mentioned in our previous issue, generous donations from supporters enabled us to renovate our cattery completely in order to create a more natural environment for our felines and to enable them to move around with plenty of space to explore, exercise, play and snooze. It gives us enormous pleasure to see them in such exceptional accommodation, and for this we thank our generous cattery donors. Only a visit would reveal what a difference your contributions have made to our feline orphans.

Keeping dogs on chains is a crime!

Our inspectors have become increasingly concerned about the persistent permanent cruel chaining of dogs that continues unabated despite their best efforts at educating owners who do so out of ignorance and charging those who are guilty of blatant cruelty. It is hard to understand how any owner could put a chain, often a heavy one and circling the neck more than once, round a dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neck, keep it so short that he can hardly move, sometimes allow it to become so tight that it becomes deeply embedded in his neck, causing extreme agony, with the flesh becoming necrotic, and finally seething with maggots. Or else putting a collar on a chained puppy and never altering as he grows, so that unimaginable pain becomes his daily lot. Added to this, these owners often provide the animal

with no shelter from blazing sun, bitter cold or rain. There is all too often no water or food within reach. What kind of human being is capable to doing this to a helpless animal? Well, the surprising answer is: thousands within our Durban and Coast SPCA area of responsibility, and not only in areas where there is much poverty and heavy unemployment. In fact, many of the very poor look after their animals to the very best of their ability. What is even more shocking is to find cruelty to animals where people do have the resources to look after them properly. Last year, our inspectors dealt with almost six thousand cases of chaining. In all severe cases, owners have been charged. In other cases, they have been fully informed and warned. We are committed to our anti-chaining campaign and ask for support from the community we serve, but not only in terms of funding. Our inspectors and passersby can seldom see into the backyard areas where these suffering animals are usually kept. We have to rely on reports from neighbours or from people who happen to catch a glimpse of cruelly chained dogs. The fact that our inspectors dealt with almost six thousand chaining cases is a tribute to the large number of people who cared enough to inform us of many situations we would otherwise not have known about. We are also doing what we can to educate through our SPCA Humane Education programme through which schoolchildren are encouraged to be our ears and eyes in the areas of their homes and schools and to report instances of chaining to us. Read about this in Durban & Coast SPCA News in this issue.

Support for our work

Globally, this is proving a hard time for many people, and our hearts go out to the many people who are unemployed and fighting despair regarding the basic essentials of life. We are therefore especially grateful to all those generous individuals, companies and associations who continue to support us in our attempts to cope with the plight of animals who are the first to suffer when times are hard. We are also deeply grateful to our splendid volunteers who give such valuable service to our animals. We could not manage without them. Chris Matheson General Manager

www.spcadbn.org.za

PRECIOUS PETS

Durban & Coast SPCA member, Linda Hall, says: “My granddaughter Josephine Livesey, lives in Kloof and goes to Beehive PrePrimary. Here she is with her Staffie puppy, Annabel. All three of my grandchildren love animals, but Josephine is besotted with them, especially dogs. She absolutely loves visiting my three.”

See Julia Barnett’s letter in Pigeon Post. Here is Domino perched on Monty’s back (inset). And Max at 14 years old, with Juliette.

Thanks to Juliet, we adopted our baby Chanel from you on 26 February 2011, and she has brought so much happiness to our home. After our big dogs died, we swore blind that there would be no more pets. It’s much too heartbreaking when we lose them. Then Juliet said we must just come and have a look, and that did it. Anton and Chanel took an instant liking to each other, and I, of course, would have taken every animal you have if I possibly could. Chanel is very much part of the family. Everyone who meets her just loves her. Here she is having a swim with our granddaughter Fern, who has taught her to say “hello”. Yes, our little pooch can talk. We love her to distraction and, although she has her own cosy bed, she sleeps in bed with us at night. Thank you to all at the SPCA for the wonderful work you do. We support you wholeheartedly.

Haby & Anton Jansen

After a busy morning in the pool, Chanel has a nap with her Dad, Anton.

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

Visit our website

PRECIOUS PETS

In a letter to Juliet, Amy Schuermans says: “Thanks so much for your help, Juliet. I am sending you some pictures of Lilly. She has fitted in so well with my family, and we just love her to bits.”

Tracey du Plooy sent us this picture of a precious pet. She says: “I love my animals more than life itself. My Mom says that if she gets an option to come back when she dies, she wants to be my dog!”

Caroline Ashmore’s Kodi and Bella (see Pigeon Post Here is Jill and Rob Guerin’s beautiful Rosie, adopted for Bella’s story) from our SPCA. See Jill’s letter in Pigeon Post.

www.spcadbn.org.za

PRECIOUS PETS

Here is Dean Marais's much loved four-month-old purebred mastiff pup, Russell Harley Marais, who has just woken up. Russell finished puppy school two weeks before this picture was taken and will sit, shake and lie down on command. Dean says: “He loves the beach, large sticks, shoes and especially other dogs and people. He is very friendly, passionate about playing, very good with children, and has such a gentle, kind heart.”

Look for this miniature blue butterfly in your garden Mark Sandison of Kloof wrote: This is one of my favourite butterflies. How these little guys fly and sometimes chase one another amazes me. They seem to like the greenery I have in a section of my garden. Some of them are unbelievably small with a total wingspan of about 10mm when I look at my ruler. Others are bigger at around 15mm. This little guy of about 15mm seemed to be resting when I finally caught up with him and he (or she) allowed me to take the photo, even though I was up pretty close, say 30cm away. I am beginning to plant more butterfly-friendly indigenous plants from John Terblanche at the Kloof SPCA. Mark then wrote to butterfly expert and author, Steve Woodhall, who lives in Gillitts. Steve wrote back: Hi Mark This is a Sooty Blue, Zizeeria knysna knysna. It's one of

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

our commonest garden butterflies and is always found on lawns where plants like Oxalis corniculata (the tiny star-like yellow flowers) and Tribulus terrestris (Devil Thorn) grow. Good luck with your indigenising! Please have a look at LepSoc's website - www.lepsoc. org.za - and also the SABCA site - http://sabca.adu. org.za. On the left of the page, you’ll find a link to our Virtual Museum, where you can register and upload all your photo records, and we can use the data in conservation projects. Even data on the common species are valuable, perhaps especially so, because in Europe longterm analysis of the records of common species has allowed conservationists to help track the effects of climate change. All the best Steve

Visit our website

Durban & Coast SPCA News CAROLINE SMITH

Our Inspectors worked on almost 6000 chaining cases last year! Our campaign against chaining is called “Break the Silence, Break the Chains”. Dog chaining is rife in Durban, including in areas where one would not suspect it. When I refer to chained dogs, I mean dogs that live out their entire existence at the end of a chain, usually with the chain tied directly around the neck. Year after year our Inspectors investigate chaining cases, and in many cases the owners are prosecuted, yet we have seen no improvement in the situation. In fact, chaining cases continue to account for some 80% of our Inspectors’ workloads. This means that last year in Durban alone, almost 6000 cases were worked on. What is a huge problem for us is that there seems to be a perception that chaining is an acceptable practice. Nothing could be further from the truth. Being chained denies a dog every aspect of natural behaviour like playing, exploring, running or resting

www.spcadbn.org.za

properly. It also has extremely damaging psychological effects and can cause dogs to become aggressive… including towards their owners. It is downright cruel. Dogs are sentient and highly intelligent creatures. They feel pain just as you and I do, and they feel loneliness and depression. We need to correct this inhumane perception that chaining is an acceptable practice. Our campaign has three main messages: 1) Forcing your dog to live at the end of a chain is CRUEL. 2) Chaining is ILLEGAL. 3) Please REPORT these cases to us. We rely on you to be our eyes and ears. Without your reports, we will never know where there are animals suffering the cruelty and callousness of chaining. Chaining in most cases is accompanied by other forms

DURBAN & COAST SPCA NEWS

of cruelty, such as denying food, water and veterinary treatment. In fact, the condition of chained dogs on the whole is appalling, with emaciated, mange-ridden and sometimes dying dogs discovered by our Inspectors. Also rife is allowing chains to become embedded in dogs’ necks. Yes… embedded in their flesh. Such wounds become necrotic (rotten) and riddled with maggots. Sometimes the chain is put around a young pup and is not adjusted as the pup grows so the chain is left literally to grow into the neck. The pain cannot even be imagined. We need to end this ignorance, as well as the blatant cruelty, the sheer callousness, that is involved. We started the campaign by appealing to our top donors (our “Animal Buddies” club) to help financially towards the production of posters, flyers, stickers and rulers for distribution to schools, libraries, community centres and other organisations to bring the chaining issue to public awareness. We urge the public to add their voices to our antichaining petition on our homepage www.spcadbn. org.za. The aim of the petition is to present signatures to local magistrates when they are handing down sentences in these cases. Our Inspectors enforce the APA (Animals Protection Act of 1962), and the maximum penalty for animal cruelty is a R60 000 or three years’ imprisonment. However, the maximum penalty is never handed down in these cases. We want to raise public anger against

this horrific practice so that people speak out. That would add weight to our court cases so that offenders could feel the full weight of the law. You can donate towards the campaign by visiting our website. Anyone wishing to obtain our anti-chaining materials should call Lauren on 031 579 6546.

Our Education Officer comments on the anti-Chain Campaign

Hi Caroline The children love the stickers and the rulers for this anti-chain campaign. They agreed to take a sticker or a ruler as a reminder that they have made a promise to themselves to look out for animals in trouble and to help animals wherever they go. This is exciting stuff as it makes animal cruelty real to them and helps to make them care about it. I am so pleased to have these items to leave with them. The photographs above are of Grade 5 learners at Kaminalee Primary, Lotus Park. Laura

REPORT cruelty – you can do this confidentially and anonymously by phoning (031) 5796500 or emailing info@spcadbn.org.za. When we keep silent and do nothing, we become complicit.

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

Visit our website

DURBAN & COAST SPCA NEWS

House & Garden Show

We launched our anti-chaining campaign at the House & Garden Show and distributed our materials. Antichaining is a fight we have just got to begin winning, but we need everyone’s support. In return for a donation, visitors to our stand had their photograph taken in our special custom-made anti-chaining stands. The photographs were then posted on our Facebook page for them to “like” and “tag”. We raised an amount of R51 000! Thank you to each of the hard-working volunteers for making this event so successful, both from a fundraising perspective and as a campaign to try to alleviate the crushing problem of dogchaining.

Annual Golf Day

We hosted our annual Golf Day on 10 May, once again at Royal Durban. We were overwhelmed by the players’ support and enjoyed a full field of 140. The weather conditions on the day were a cause of some stress for my team, with heavy rain forecast throughout the day, but the rain held out until later in the afternoon, and the golfers carried on regardless of the very heavy downpour. Thanks to each of the individual players for sportingly braving the elements for us. The pleasing result was that we raised a net amount of R60 000, which is pretty incredible.

The Golfer’s Club 4-ball: Christo van Rooyen, Mark de la Hey, Grant Poppesqou, Steve Bruce.

www.spcadbn.org.za

Sean Pearce of Coast to Coast Investigations, makes an attractive hound.

DURBAN & COAST SPCA NEWS

Bluff Meat Supply

We send a huge THANK YOU to Bluff Meat Supply, who have provided the boerewors for the boerie stall at our Bargain Hunt each and every month, free of charge. We have managed to raise approximately R49 000 through the sale of these boerie rolls since the inception of Bargain Hunt, so thank you Bluff Meat Supply for this amazing support.

Clairwood Park Rotary Anns Club

These generous Rotary Anns have manned the boerie stall for us throughout and have provided the rolls and onions, so a huge THANK YOU to them for their loyal support and hard work.

Spar Women’s Race: “Team SPCA”

Our staff got together as a team-building exercise to do the Spar Women’s Race as “Team SPCA”. Male staff members were obliged to dress up like women… which gave the ‘other sex’ a good laugh!

Left to right: Katija, Mark, Priscilla, Dr Gilson, Dr Belinda, Doug and Hazel. Vani Govender and Kogie Naidoo from Clairwood Park Rotary Anns, hard at work preparing delicious refreshments for our hungry Bargain Hunt patrons

Tree of Love

This December, our popular Tree of Love promotion will once again take place at shopping centres in Durban. Visitors to the stand are asked for a donation in return for which they get a brightly coloured box and tag on which to write a heart-felt message to their pet/s and hang it on the Tree of Love. The result is a tree literally dripping with messages from Durbanites who love their pets, and great funding is raised by our hard-working volunteers. For more info on dates and venues visit www.spcadbn.org.za closer to the time. Volunteers Jacqui Cramb and Maddy Loynes, together with a young pet lover, at last year’s Tree of Love at La Lucia Mall.

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

Visit our website

DURBAN & COAST SPCA NEWS

Me and my Pet Competition

We launched this competition in 2010 in partnership with MySchool. It is run on our website www.spcadbn.org.za and has become very popular with the kids. They upload a recent photograph of themselves with their pet. In order to become a finalist, they must gain the most votes for the week. Each finalist is then judged, and the prizegiving takes place at our Coffee Cats Café, where the certificates and Toys R Us vouchers are awarded. Through this competition we encourage: * closer interaction between our SPCA and the youth in our local schools; * parents to sign us up as a beneficiary on their “MySchool” card in order to raise additional funds; and * more exposure from visits to our website. Last year in our MySchool programme we ranked nationally at number 38. We now rank number 16, and our monthly income for May 2013 was R10 045, which is a far cry from the R23.67 raised in the launch month in 2010. Please remember that even if you already hold a “MySchool/MyPlanet/MyVillage” card with a school or another charity as beneficiary, you can still add our SPCA as an additional beneficiary. Also, once kids have moved out of school, many parents prefer to support charities.

2nd 2nd Place: Daniel and Gabriella

1st Winner: Kristen and Ziggy

Judges’ Choice

3rd Judges’ Choice: Hannah Grace and Stefie

www.spcadbn.org.za

3rd place: Survivor and Sharry

DURBAN & COAST SPCA NEWS

Introducing our new Yard Cat: Gary This lively little fellow has been inducted into our Yard Cat Hall of Fame and has been named Gary. His energy levels are unsurpassed, and his nature superaffectionate. These qualities make for a veritable purring bundle of love. Garyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tongue is perpetually sticking out, which makes him look quite comical at times. He has made his way into our hearts very quickly, and we would love to see him gain many sponsors. For the full gallery of our Yard Cats, including our latest addition, see our site http://www.spcadbn.org. za/sponsor.asp, which includes a profile on each of these individual little feline personalities. Or for more information about sponsorship, contact Lauren on 031 5796546.

Our new chairman, Neil Aubert, hands out

Long Service Awards at our AGM on 6 July 2013

Rose Couzens (35 years)

Cyprian Mbhele (20 years)

Innocent Luthuli (20 years)

Caroline Smith (10 years)

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

Visit our website

SPCA Bequest profile Name: Ginny Cawdron Residence: Glenwood, Durban Born: Harare, Zimbabwe, in the late 1960s

I was lucky enough to grow up with dogs and cats (and rabbits for a short time), until moving to Durban in 1986. Home was not home without furkids, so it was such a joy to get a cat and dogs when we moved into our first house in 1994. It was at that point that I became an SPCA volunteer, assisting in fundraising through book sales (my best!), Christmas card sales, street collections, theatre and golf events, the annual fete, House & Garden Shows, and the Christmas Tree of Love. On the passing of our precious furry friends, we moved into a (pet-less) flat in 2011 – a radical change in lifestyle and a new era. I still miss my ‘babies’ and am moved to tears every time I drive past someone walking a Staffie. I so miss the unconditional love of pets and their precious ‘welcome home’. Other people ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over human babies; I find baby animals much more appealing. Thank goodness for the SPCA book sales. My book collection includes many non-fiction animal stories, although I am heart-broken at the end of most of them. I choose to support animal rather than people charities because animals are defenceless; they cannot report abuse to social services, they cannot seek solace from friends, and they are loyal and trusting even of those that hurt them. I support the SPCA because it is a solid organisation that tackles not just the care of hurt and homeless animals, but also invests in addressing the prevention of cruelty and irresponsible pet care through dedicated educational programmes. My husband, friends and colleagues are used to my badgering them to donate unwanted items to the SPCA for fundraising. I encourage them to support book/charity sales and solicit donations. And I nag people to adopt rather than buy pets from a pet shop or breeder. I am a sucker for any animal welfare appeal. My life would be incomplete without my SPCA involvement, and I encourage more people to become involved… and be richly rewarded beyond what they can imagine.

BINGO!

We held another highly successful Bingo morning for our Bequestors at our Coffee Cats Café on 30 May. Peter Chamberlain was our ‘caller’. Great hampers for winners were generously sponsored by The Hub and Eastman’s Spar. Left to right: Joy Schimper, K Hobson, Verene Scudellaro and Joy Mouton.

Here we have a happy group from Eden Crescent Retirement Complex.

www.spcadbn.org.za

FEATURE

SPCA Open Gardens The Durban & Coast SPCA proudly invites you to view six Open Gardens in the Durban North area. Dates: Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th October 2013 Time: 9am – 4pm Donation: R50 includes tea and entrance to all six gardens. Pensioners R45 and children under 12 free (under adult supervision). All proceeds to go to the Durban & Coast SPCA. Refreshments, as well as a collectables stall, will be on offer at the tea garden venue. Contact: Lauren at the SPCA 031 5796546 For more information, including a profile on each of the exquisite gardens, visit www.spcadbn.org.za The six beautiful gardens in the Durban North area are: 16 WINDSOR DRIVE A well-established garden – lush – tropical with beautiful trees and shade and colour everywhere. 31 INVERNESS CRESCENT A well-manicured garden with a blend of formal and informal. Tropical, roses, colour everywhere. 43 KENSINGTON DRIVE A tropical garden with over 600 roses, crotons, coloured foliage, a palm collection as well as a cycad collection.

16 CHELSEA DRIVE A Tuscan garden in the true sense of the word. Mainly white and green, featuring roses and an immaculate lawn. 7 GELDERLAND ROAD A stunning formal garden with softened areas. Roses, perennials, bougainvillea, and an amazing view make this a beautiful Durban North garden.

8 BERKELEY CRESCENT A formal garden with white roses, many palms, and an emerald green lawn.

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

Visit our website

FEATURE

DURBAN & COAST SPCA

Humane Education Project Laura Pretorius

Comments on some of the schools I visited Overport SRS Primary is a pleasant school to visit and has good AV facilities. Learners come from both the Berea and the townships. Since the level of English varies so much, it is not always easy to elicit a response from those learners who feel at a linguistic disadvantage. However, some children do voice their problems. A Grade 6 boy from a township told me he really loves his cat and wanted to know how to take proper care of it. He kept it despite his father’s disapproval. One needs to be aware, though, that many township animals are loved and cared for by their owners, even when food is scarce and accommodation basic. I was invited to visit both Atholton and Maris Stella. Since these are well-off schools, I would not normally have visited them, but they had both heard about our outreach programme from other schools, and Mrs Nesbit, an HOD at Maris Stella, told me that she had heard ‘glowing reports’ about my presentation, which was gratifying to hear. Speaking to learners who are accustomed to a good deal of stimulation and exposure to ideas was very different from my usual experience. The children grasped concepts readily without needing additional input and simplified language, and I was able to give the Grade 4 class a Grade 6-level presentation. Nonetheless, there were still quite a few learners who had not realised that animals are sentient beings. The more affluent can afford to keep animals healthy, housed and well-fed, but some still did not know that animals feel as we do. One girl said that, although she and her sister love their dog, they are always out shopping and entertaining themselves and that she now felt guilty to hear that animals can feel lonely! Many learners had taken off from school to go to the Justin Bieber concert (which cost R1000 per ticket) in Johannesburg, and some even paid R7000 just to meet him and get his autograph. This led to my incorporating a brief discussion on values, and we proceeded to talk about how one cannot decide that someone is trustworthy without knowing something more about them than a pleasant appearance and what seems like an attractive personality. Giving an animal to a person who appears to be ‘nice’ without investigating further could mean that one is putting the animal at risk. Many immediately took this up and saw what I was getting at. I do not have the same frame of reference with disadvantaged learners as they simply do not have the opportunities, social situations and advantages that these learners have. (I was amused to see that the mere mention of Justin Bieber’s name caused many girls to look starry-eyed!) At Parkside Primary, Mrs Connor from Grade 5 told

www.spcadbn.org.za

me that she had heard my talk at Excelsior two years earlier and had subsequently used my notes at both Excelsior and Parkside as a tool for additional learning. Her own children took a pledge not to use fireworks when they were in primary school. She told me that she liked my approach to the learners and my class control and thought I was a fine presenter. I was bowled over by this unexpected response. So many unexpected compliments this session! In sharp contrast to the schools mentioned above, I also visited a seriously disadvantaged school where learners have very little exposure to interesting educative experiences and in some cases actually appear to resist being educated at all. Usually I give an interactive talk, but at times this becomes virtually impossible when the children don’t respond to questions and are mired in lethargy. During this visit, I decided to treat the presentation more like a very simple talk aimed at listeners who had absolutely no background. Although I much prefer the interactive approach, this worked better with these children. After giving a talk to the Grade 7s at this school (and it had to be at a Grade 4 level), I reached out to them on a more person-to-person level, explaining that when someone comes to visit them and share information and stories with them, it gives them the opportunity to hear about things that can enrich their lives and expand their world. But if they resist and do not want to listen and share and ask questions, they are keeping themselves stuck in one place. But there are stories behind this apathy, and one’s heart aches for these children whose futures appear to look so bleak. What is happening in our education system when it allows ‘forgotten children’ to sit drearily through their schooldays without stimulation and without any vestige of a sense of wonder… a sense that has to be inculcated by teachers who feel it themselves. Readers will be sad to read of the accidental death of little Oscar, the dog who became famous for this World Woof Tour with his owner Joanne Lefson, who had rescued him many years ago from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA. Oscar became the most travelled dog in the world in the cause of dog adoptions. Joanne has our deepest sympathy over the loss of her precious Oscar.

FEATURE

Toad Jack B Nimble survives mammoth journey from China to Cape Town

Here is Jack B Nimble being held by Brett Glasby, Wildlife Unit Manager of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA. (Acknowledgements to Courtney Africa and the Cape Argus)

A couple of days before Christmas last year, a staff member at a Mr Price store saw what looked like a frog’s leg protruding from a ceramic candlestick and found a young Asian toad. It is thought that the toad, that has been named Jack B Nimble, stowed away in the candlestick in China and travelled more than 12 000km in this uncomfortable small compartment before the cargo reached its destination in Cape Town. Jack was taken to the Grassy Park SPCA. He had to spend time in quarantine before going to live in the Montecasino Bird Gardens’ Frog Room in Johannesburg where he has his own little pond and a cave made of rocks for hiding out in. Reptile curator John Baldwin reports that he is doing well.

Some species of toad are able to survive for lengthy periods without food or water, and Wildlife Unit Manager at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, Brett Glasby, says the little amphibian could have been incarcerated in the candlestick for anywhere between one and three months. Stowaway Jack narrowly escaped a less happy fate, since Cape Nature feared he might introduce pathogens to Western Cape amphibians and wanted to euthanase him. Only two hours before he was due to meet this fate, Montecasino Bird Gardens offered to take him in. Hardy little Jack B Nimble is on display to visitors to Montecasino Bird Gardens.

Do today’s children know the old nursery rhymes that we knew as children, I wonder? (This little rhyme is No. 13902 in the Roud Folk Song Index and was first published around 1815 and later appeared in a collection put together by James Orchard Halliwell . Jumping over candlesticks formed part of a fortune-telling game. One could expect good luck if one cleared the lit candle in the candlestick without extinguishing the flame.)

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

Visit our website

What kind of people…?

Shirley Bell

If ever we need any confirmation whatsoever of the importance of education projects like ours that try to teach compassion, it is reading reports like this one.

Deliberately running over turtles crossing a road hardly qualifies as a “sport”, which is how one culprit describes it, but it seems that a surprising number of people aim their vehicles at small animals crossing a road and actually find this amusing. It is hard to believe, says Professor Hal Herzog, Western Carolina University psychology professor, but some human beings feel the need to prove that they are the earth’s dominant species, and that taking a “twoton metal vehicle” and using it to flatten a defenceless little creature somehow establishes this for them! “They aren’t thinking,” he says. “It just seems fun to them at the moment. It’s the dark side of human nature.” He asked a class of over a hundred students whether they had ever intentionally run over a turtle, or been in a car with someone who did. Thirty-four students, about two-thirds of them male, raised their hands. Nathan Weaver, an Agricultural, Forest and Environmental Sciences student at Clemson University in Carolina, became interested in animal conservation through the Boy Scouts and the work of the intrepid Australian animal adventurer and conservationist, the late Steve Irwin, who was tragically killed when he was speared by the tail spine of a stingray while filming a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef. Weaver wants to figure out a way to get box turtles safely across the road in order to keep their population from dwindling even further. Among the possible solutions are turtle underpasses, or an education campaign on why drivers shouldn't mow down turtles “for fun”. (One has to wonder what other nasty little inhumane practices such drivers get up to.) When Nathan first began to collect data on turtles, he chose a spot down the road from a large complex catering for students. He counted 267 vehicles during his watch, during which seven drivers intentionally aimed for and hit his rubber reptile. A week later, he returned, choosing a more residential area. The second of the fifty cars to pass by swerved

www.spcadbn.org.za

right over the centre line, pulverising the shell of the toy tortoise. Several others tried the turtle but missed. When his observation period was over, but before he could retrieve his battered model, another car moved to the right to hit the turtle as Nathan stood in full view less than six metres away. The driver was unabashed at being observed. “One hit in 50 cars is pretty significant when you consider it might take a turtle ten minutes to cross the road,” Weaver said. It takes a turtle seven or eight years to become mature enough to reproduce, and in that time it might make several trips across roads to get from one pond to another, looking for food or a suitable place to lay eggs. A female turtle that could live for up to fifty years might lay over a hundred eggs, but a mere two or three hatchlings are likely to survive to reproduce. Snakes also get run over deliberately, perhaps because many people have an irrational fear of snakes, but why would anyone want to smash a small turtle? Why would anyone want to hurt any small helpless creature of any species? Too many humans have no respect for life. Yet that mysterious spark that makes us what we are operates along the entire spectrum of living creatures from the smallest invertebrate to the huge blue whale. It can be frighteningly fragile. If we cannot honour life, what are we?

Andy B sent this photograph on to us. He had received it from friends, along with the following note: “This large elephant seal decided to visit us on Blaauwberg Beach yesterday evening. It lazed around, dozed, and looked at us with soulful eyes before slipping back into the sea after a few hours. What a treat to see an elephant seal up close.”

Stories from around the World We have adapted interesting, unusual, and sometimes humorous and delightful, snippets from various sources to share with our readers.

Turtle trapped in crab pot

This photograph, sent us by Anthony Ardern of the Gold Coast who owns the popular whale-watching boat, Whales in Paradise, depicts a sad event that one would have thought most unlikely. Anthony says: "This turtle was found washed up onto the rocks at Scarborough on the Redcliffe Peninsula just north of Brisbane and opposite my parents' home. Andrea Marais and I were walking on the beach when we came across the dead turtle. "It is very strange for a turtle of this size to be caught in a crab pot, as the entrance seems far too small to allow this to happen. All I can think is that the turtle somehow managed to enter the pot from the bottom where the pot is tied closed and where the bait is located, but it would have been far from easy. "These are the most common traps used in Australia. However, the design of the crab pot is such that it would be a very rare event for an animal like a turtle to become trapped. It is a green turtle, a species that is abundant in Moreton."

it was dragging a buoy attached to the fishing ropes. It was estimated that the whale had been entangled for about a month. “You could see that rope had been in the water for a long time because it was covered in algae, and there were also hundreds of little barnacles that will grow only on animals that are very slow-moving, which it would have been. It was not in a good condition.” The whale was spotted in Table Bay by staff from Port Control office, and they alerted Mike Meyer, who is a member of the SA Whale Entanglement Network. A rescue team was speedily assembled. Entangled whales have to be slowed down and kept close to the surface to allow the team to work. One way of doing this is “kegging”, a modification of an old whaling practice, which involves attaching huge buoys to the whale, and is designed to be cut loose easily. “A lot of the rope had cut into the animal and was embedded in the muscle… We made 27 cuts in the rope altogether. Some of it came off, but to get the embedded rope off we had to come up behind the animal and use grappling irons to pull it off. We held it over the boat to put drag on the rope as the animal swims, and that helped pull it out.” Some sections had cut so deeply into the whale’s flesh that they could not be removed, but Meyer said these might work themselves out naturally. Southern right whales usually feed in the southern Atlantic around the Antarctic and come to our coast in winter to calve. Meyer said some stayed on the West

Freed whale ‘entangled for month’

A few weeks after our last issue came out, an article in the Cape Times by Melanie Gosling reported that it had taken a specialised team four hours to free a southern right whale so badly entangled in fishing ropes that the ropes had become embedded in its flesh. It was the worst case of entanglement the team had dealt with, according to Mike Meyer of the Department of Environment’s Oceans and Coast branch. There was also a mass of rope under the whale, and

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

'Southern rights get very feisty if they are entangled and become really dangerous.' Picture: Christiaan Louw

Visit our website

STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Coast in summer to feed on the plankton blooms caused by upwelling in the ocean from the south-east winds. There is heavy fishing along the West Coast, so the animals ran the risk of becoming entangled. The rescuers could not say whether the whale would survive, but were optimistic that it would. Nan Rice, head of the Dolphin Action and Protection Group and founder of the entanglement network, praised the team highly: “They are so brave to do this because it is very dangerous work. Southern rights get very feisty if they are entangled and become really dangerous.” Adapted from an article from the Cape Times

Ensnared shark rescued

In January, shark cage diving operators reported seeing a juvenile female Great White Shark entangled in fishing line which had become wound around its head and through its gills. More line with hooks and bait attached were trailing behind the animal. The Dyer Island Conservation Trust, which runs conservation and research programmes in the area, alerted the Oceans & Coast branch of the National Department of Environmental Affairs, and a team of researchers, deckhands and collections fishermen who support the Two Oceans Aquarium left for Gansbaai to search for the shark. The founder of the Trust, Wilfred Chivell, said that Great White Sharks were often illegally targeted by fishermen even though they were a protected species in South Africa, and that every year about thirty Great Whites die in the shark nets off the KwaZulu-Natal coast. At first the team searched in vain, and then the shark was sighted from the Slashfin, which is Chivell’s commercial shark tours boat. The crew had prepared a special line that included a barbless circle hook that is easily removed once a shark is caught. The entangled shark fortunately took the bait and was carefully brought to the side of the boat by national angler, Pieter du Toit. A reverse cutter, a tool developed for whale disentanglements, was used, and it took just two quick cuts through the lines to remove the line and free the shark.

Obituaries Nita Naidoo

We were deeply saddened by the passing of Nita Naidoo, who was instrumental in setting up Clairwood Park Rotary Anns Club’s regular volunteering at the boerie stall at our monthly Bargain Hunt. Nita’s ready smile and eagerness to help her community helped to make this stall a hugely popular venue. Her commitment to animal welfare lives on as the Rotary Anns continue to help at the monthly Bargain Hunt.

Derek Staniland

Our friend and valued volunteer, Derek Staniland, passed away in May this year after bravely fighting cancer. Derek will be remembered by us for his unfailing sense of humour and strength. Our thoughts are with his wife, Fiona.

Adapted from various reports in the Cape Argus

“The purity of a person’s heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals” ~ Anonymous

Flying Ant Designs Photograph: Acknowledgements to Hennie Otto SharkwatchSA

www.spcadbn.org.za

P O Box 47704 Greyville l (031) 309 5385 l ant@flyingant.co.za

Turtle freed from plastic bag When Pinetown diver, Craig Taylor, was diving about 3.5km off the coast of Scottburgh with his wife Simone in a Scuba Excursions group in July, a loggerhead turtle came swimming towards him, and he decided to photograph it. They were about 18m deep. Then he noticed that it had a plastic bag around its neck. A large grocery bag had become entwined around the fully-grown turtle’s neck and one of its fins. The turtle swam right up to him and “just looked at me”, Craig says. It tilted its neck to one side as if asking to be helped. Craig held onto its carapace with one hand and managed to manoeuvre the bag free with the other hand. Then he gave the turtle a gentle push, and it glided off. Craig says he has dived in the Red Sea and off the coast of Bali and Thailand, but was “blown away” by this encounter of the first kind right here in KZN. Seven years ago, on his first dive, he saw a turtle emerge from a cave and has been fascinated by them ever since. But underlying this happy ending, he points out, is the sad fact of increasing pollution of our oceans. Plastic is believed to constitute some 90 per cent of all rubbish floating in the oceans. The UN Environment Programme estimated in 2006 that every square kilometre of ocean contains as many as 46 000 pieces of floating plastic. Adapted from an item in Durban’s Daily News by Nosipho Mngoma

Here is the turtle with the plastic bag round its neck in Craig Taylor with the plastic bag that he removed from process of swimming up to diver Craig Taylor for his help. the loggerhead turtle’s neck. Craig took this photograph.

Beachfront horse and rider engulfed in sinkhole On 11 August, while cantering along uShaka beach, Metro Police Inspector Jeffrey Gunter found himself almost waist deep in heavy wet sand, while his mount, Wild Boy, was engulfed up to his neck. According to reports, eThekwini Municipality was in process of pumping sand from the harbour into the area in an effort to halt the sand erosion, and that section of the beach had been cordoned off. Inspector Gunter managed to crawl on all fours and free himself. Probably owing to the great bond between Wild Boy and his rider, the horse astonishingly remained calm throughout what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him. A municipal digger was fortunately being used in the vicinity and was able to dig carefully around the horse to release the pressure of the heavy, clinging sand which had rendered almost his entire body immovable. Once his body was free, rescuers began to dig sand away from his legs. It took a few minutes before Wild Boy was able to stand up on his own. Examined by a veterinarian the following day, he was declared to be in good shape apart from stiffness. Inspector Gunter fortunately had only a sore shoulder… along with uneasy images of what might had happened to both him and his horse had the sinkhole been a little deeper and had mechanical and human help not been at hand.

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

Visit our website

Another kind of ‘factory’ farming earns appropriate retribution Early in the year, the National SPCA reported that a crocodile farmer had been fined R290,000 by the Department of Agriculture and Environment for constructing “single pens” for crocodiles without the environmental impact assessment that is a legal requirement. We hope that humane concern for living creatures was equally an aspect of the imposition of this hefty fine. Coen Labuscagne of the Metroc Broedery in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal, subsequently applied for permission to expand the selfsame operation to a staggering total of 1,500 crocodiles for incarceration before being slaughtered to supply the apparently ever-insatiable fashion trade. The NSPCA’s intervention in 2012 led to the exposé of crocodiles being incarcerated in single pens for a minimum of three months before slaughter. These single pens are referred to as the “finishing pens” because – as with factory farming where animals have almost no movement - the sole purpose is to restrict movement, increase growth and ultimately avoid interaction with other crocodiles, thereby “guaranteeing no injuries to the skins”. The NSPCA has since been informed that the threemonth period was not exactly an accurate reportage and that incarceration is usually a minimum of six to seven months. (Let those who are proud to be wearing genuine crocodile leather take note.) The NSPCA laid charges in terms of the Animal Protection Act in January 2012, but the State declined to prosecute, citing a report from the KZN Wildlife Services as a contributing factor in this decision. The SPCA stance is that the practice of keeping crocodiles incarcerated in single pens is cruel and totally unacceptable and therefore constitutes a violation of the Animal Protection Act. The NSPCA then submitted an appeal to the MEC not to reduce or quash this fine. Take note of the following: the pens measure less than a metre across and are less than two metres in length with a depth of only 250/300mm of water. Some of the crocodiles themselves are more than two metres long, so that their tails are bent in the small enclosure or else their heads have permanently to be at an angle, so that they cannot lie or rest straight. There is neither shade cloth nor shelter against heat, nor is heating provided in cold weather. It seems that a jacket or handbag can sell in some luxury markets for up to R400,000.

www.spcadbn.org.za

Do wearers give no thought to the source of their treasured luxury items… or is cruelty simply seen as ‘worth it’? Crocodiles are social animals. The long periods of cruel incarceration are a living hell for them. The NSPCA is deeply concerned about plans to expand the operation by a further 1,500 pens. An interested party, an environmental assessment company, has provided the NSPCA with new plans for comment. This unacceptable cruelty sets an immensely dangerous precedent in animal welfare terms as crocodile farming is already prolific in South Africa. It is estimated that there are already more than 60 crocodile farms in our country, with some holding over 20,000 crocodiles in captivity before they are killed for the manufacture of outrageously expensive fashion accessories. No one species of animal deserves any greater or lesser protection than any other, and we are admittedly a nation of flesh-eaters. It is true that there are still many wrongs to be righted in the field of food production from animals. Factory farming needs far more scrutiny that is presently applied. Nonetheless, consumer power and growing public awareness have led to greater use of free-range produce and growing concern for cruel methods of raising animals to be used as food. We have the constant argument thrown at us that free-range meat and animal products are more expensive, which is true, but even the middle income group is having to turn increasingly away from meat products because these have moved into the luxury class. People are beginning to be more sensitive about the lives of factory farm animals. It is a relief to see that such ghastly practices as “sow stalls” (gestation crates) are being phased out. The public needs to become more aware. Compassion is fundamental to concern for all life, which is why we made it basic to the Durban & Coast Humane Education Project from the beginning. The NSPCA calls upon people to support us in our work to prevent single-pen crocodile farming from becoming accepted or practised in our country.

SB Speak out against animal cruelty of all kinds, including the appalling lives imposed on battery chickens and other animals reared under factory farming conditions.

UPDATE FROM THE NSPCA THE CROCODILE CRUELTY ISSUE

Late last April, an NSPCA inspectorate team began investigations on a crocodile farm in the Limpopo province where more than 5000 crocodiles were being kept. NSPCA investigations and post mortem reports have confirmed that some of the crocodiles were suffering the effects of severe malnutrition. Following serious concerns, 47 crocodiles were euthanased in April 2013 owing to their weakened state and were sent for pathology examination. Upon confirmation from the independent pathology report, a further 57 crocodiles were euthanased in May. This decision was not taken lightly and was also based on the fact that some large adult crocodiles had missing jaws, which made it difficult for them to eat and defend themselves. Overcrowding of animals causes cannibalism and fighting for dominance and food. In addition to handling this sorrowful task, the NSPCA team consulted with the owner to immediately rectify the overcrowding. There was a flurry of building activity, and neighbouring experienced crocodile teams were involved in building new enclosures and moving the remaining overcrowded crocodiles out of their former pens. This intervention came about as a result of the Farm Animal Protection Unit’s swift intervention on behalf of these traumatised animals. The investigation is continuing, and evidence is being compiled for a criminal docket in terms of the Animals Protection Act.

RABBIT FARMING

Rabbits are farmed for their fur, pelts, meat and for show purposes. Rabbit meat is considered a culinary delicacy, and some upmarket restaurants and hotels fund small-scale farmers to set up and produce rabbits for slaughter. The industry is relatively small in South Africa and there are few large commercial farms. Rabbit farming is generally limited to small, yet intensive operations, where rabbits are bred and held in individual cages and then slaughtered in abattoirs certified to undertake this slaughter. Rabbits used for fur production will spend their entire lives in a cage, and when their coats are ripe the fur will be harvested for fashion markets. These rabbits never touch soil or grass and will remain in cages until death occurs… some seven years. With the advent of intensive rearing systems, the welfare of animals has sadly taken a back seat. Constant lobbying to improve systems, eliminate cruel practices and introduce welfare codes of practice and standards therefore forms part of the Farm Animal Protection Unit’s ongoing strategy. In the case of rabbits, an approach has already been made to the South African Bureau of Standards to establish a national standard for their rearing and

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

keeping. In addition to working towards long-term improvements for rabbits, inspectors of the Farm Animal Protection Unit inspect rabbit farms and abattoirs on a regular basis.

DISPLAY OF LIVE ANIMALS FOR CONSUMPTION

Following ongoing concerns relating to the display of crayfish and other types of fish in restaurants to be selected as someone’s meal, the NSPCA approached prominent retailers, supermarkets and restaurants in an effort to have these animals removed from display. Welfare concerns relate to the handling and slaughter of these animals. The NSPCA recently received a communication from one of these restaurants that stated: “We do not display or slaughter any animals on our premises." The NSPCA believes that this should be the case with all restaurants and outlets selling sea-food. Please be our eyes and ears and let us know via farm@ nspca.co.za if you see or hear of outlets displaying any live animals. Brenda Santon NSPCA News Desk

Update on the sow gestation crates issue The NSPCA met with the National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on 1 July 2013 and officially handed over the South African signatures supporting the campaign for gestation crates to be phased out by 2016. An additional package of documentation, including research findings, was submitted by the NSPCA. It included support from retailers within South Africa, as well as from international supporters, for the phasing out of the practice of confining pregnant sows to crates. Essential follow-up procedures will ensure that momentum is not lost. The NSPCA has reconfirmed that if gestation crates remain in use after the stipulated date, it will proceed with criminal prosecution in terms of the Animals Protection Act against any person using the cruel and completely unacceptable practice of confining a pregnant sow to a stall so small that she is unable to move. The NSPCA urges all caring consumers and retailers to join them and the present 4,700 South African signatories in order to ensure that the strongest possible message is sent to Government, farmers and all role-players that this horrendous practice must end.

Visit our website

Why do dogs try to sleep on their owners’ beds? If you have a Great Dane or a large friendly Labrador who wants to sleep on your bed, you’re in trouble, but smaller dogs are often so warm and cuddly that their humans usually can’t resist letting them snuggle up. If you have a big dog, he will feel safe and happy if he sleeps on his own mat or bed. If you are a normally loving owner, your pet will look on you as his family and will just love snuggling up to you. Even if your dog is not allowed to get this close when you are sleeping, he will want to be as close to you as he possibly can, either sleeping on his own bed on the floor or in another room as close to your bedroom as possible. This makes him feel safe and cared for. Wolves and wild dogs in the wilderness like to sleep close to one another. This is nature’s way. If you have more than one dog, your dogs will always have company and so won’t feel lonely, although would still like to be near you at night. But if you have just one dog, he will find it hard to understand why he is shut away from his owner at night, especially if he is put outside. Dogs that are put outside at night should always have a good large kennel to protect them or be able to sleep in an outside room with a roomy dog basket and blanket each. It really makes sense to let your dog sleep inside your home where he will warn you of danger and protect you. It makes one feel happier and safer to have your pet close beside you. Don’t forget to take special care of your pets when people are letting off fireworks. Big-bang fireworks and thunder storms terrify many animals. Let your pet stay inside and put on some soothing music to block some of the noise. If your dog shakes and shivers, talk to him and stroke him. If you know there will be fireworks, as on Old Year’s Night and Diwali, you can buy some special calming medication from your vet. It would make you very sad to know how many animals are killed on the roads or are badly injured in many different ways when they flee in terror from those big bangs. Birds leave their nests in fright and sometimes do not return to their chicks, and all kinds of small wildlife are frightened out of their wits and are often badly hurt or killed as they run in wild fear. Is letting off loud fireworks worth causing all this harm to animals? What do you think?

www.spcadbn.org.za

Shock for Cape shark divers A group of friends who went shark cage diving off Gansbaai in the Western Cape cage got somewhat more of a thrill than they had anticipated. A 2.5 metre Great White ignored the bait which was metres away from the cage and instead forced its formidable head into one of the viewing gaps, so that its mouth protruded into the cage. The Canadian visitor nearest the jaws managed to duck beneath them and now has quite an impressive story to tell, evidence for which was shown on YouTube on 22 March in a clip taken by Bryan Plummer, showing the shark thrashing around for a few seconds in an effort to free itself. Having released itself, it swam away. The cage surfaced smartly, and the viewers emerged unscathed but somewhat shocked. The company, which has been operating for 18 years and is a member of the Great White Shark Protection Foundation, has reduced the size of the viewing gaps by about 10 per cent, making them the smallest in the industry. Kim MacLean, chairwoman of the Foundation, said that the shark, a juvenile, had probably swum rather quickly towards the cage and that its impetus had led to its snout forcing its way through the viewing gap. It is not considered that the viewers were in any real danger despite the few fearful, and certainly memorable, moments.

Orca pod arrives in False Bay A pod of about nine Orcas arrived in False Bay in early May, making life unsafe for dolphins in the area. David Yeld in the Sunday Argus reported that the killer whales were spotted hunting dolphins off Simonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Town. Having caught a dolphin, they took off towards Seal Island. Conservationist and boat-owner, Dave Hurwitz, said that he had been going into False Bay all his life and until 2009 had seen Orcas on only a couple of occasions. Since then he had seen them five times, but at the time of reporting in May they had been around for two weeks, with many close encounters, offering opportunities for glorious photographs. Orcas are found in all the oceans. They can reach about eight metres in length and can dive to a depth of some 3000 metres. Despite their reputation as ruthless predators, there is no known incident of a wild Orca attacking a human being.

(If you would like to see a selection of Dave Hurwitzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stunning Orca photographs, visit www.Facebook.com/ boatcompany)

/ The Animal Angle / August 2013

Visit our website

This is me. My name is Pupsky Pretorius. This whole page belongs to me today.

PUPSKY’S PAGE If I look happy, it’s because I am. I am happy because Laura rescued me along the roadside when I was tiny and frail and so hungry.

We animals have feelings just like people. We can be joyful, sad, in pain, longing for love, or just so happy to be around you. I always have a lot to say… and I also have to keep an eye on all those other rescued dogs in my family.

My coat keeps me warm. And I have a collar with my name and phone number. Stop interrupting, you other guys, this is my show. All we dogs want is for you to love us and care for us, and we will love you and look after you for the rest of our lives.

Hang on a moment, one of my humans is telling me something.

Okay, I’ve got it! Here it is: Remember this… No one can love you quite like a dog.

Photographs: Fransie Pretorius Text: Shirley Bell www.spcadbn.org.za

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the BUZZ around town Proudly Supports the Durban & Coast SPCA Books, Collectables, Jewellery, Bric-a-Brac, Furniture & more... Monday to Friday 8am - 4pm, Saturdays 8am - 1pm Durban & Coast SPCA, No 2 Willowfield Crescent, Springfield Park. 031 - 579 6552 / 579 6500 email: info@spcadbn.org.za

Proud printers of

The Animal Angle for the Durban & Coast SPCA

Tel: 031 312 6371 Email: sales@penprint.co.za Photograph: Tracy Marais

Call Centre bookings: 0860 MOZZIE / 0860 66 99 43 E-mail bookings to: bookings@mozzie.co.za www.mozziecabs.co.za