PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The recent Garden Route fires have not only left many people homeless, but also destroyed the natural shelter and food source for wildlife in the area.
In order to ensure that the surviving wildlife is able to sustain themselves during the next few months, a group of conservation experts from the area, called the Plett Fire Wildlife Group, has been established to coordinate and manage the short and medium-term support required for wildlife in Bitou.
The team is currently collaborating and consulting with nature authorities and the local community on what support and intervention are required.
In a normal environment, the feeding of and interference with wildlife is discouraged and there are laws prohibiting this.
Eden to Addo and Nature’s Valley Trust also cautioned the community against embarking on “random and ill-considered artificial feeding initiatives”.
“In general, we caution against the notion that humankind should as a matter of course involve itself in solving complex disturbances to the natural world. The ecological records clearly show that nature is perfectly adept at recovering on its own – human meddling has a tendency to be an impulsive and short-term response with little to no thought of longer-term consequences,” the two bodies said in a statement.
They added that wild animals are resilient and adaptable and had evolved ways of coping with natural disasters such as fire.
“Birds and baboons in particular will readily move away to return once areas are recovering. These events also act as natural population and disease controls and are integral to the natural cycles. Animals also adapt diets to cope with such circumstances.
“Starting any feeding initiative should be based on a thorough scientific assessment after the collation of all available information.”
They further said that any initiative that is not necessary or done on a random and unsustainable basis would in all likelihood do more harm than good.
“It may create dependency concerns and can result in a change of natural ranging and feeding patterns. And using incorrect food types may cause harm through disease and digestive issues, and feeding sites can become points of predation.”
According to the Plett Fire Wildlife Group, in times of disaster where substantial tracts of habitat has been destroyed, some support is required.
In the short term, volunteers from the community are providing food and water on the outskirts of the most-affected areas.
Residents who can and want to can assist can do so by putting out food and nectar for birds in their gardens, as well as providing bees with feeding stations.
It is also essential for landowners to ensure there is a corridor created from burnt vegetation to areas of vegetation that can still provide water, shelter and food for wildlife.
Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre spokesperson Steven Hendriks said careful planning for other species is under way, as it is essential to ensure that a long-term dependency is not created. This could lead to human and wildlife conflict.
The community is encouraged to make use of the Facebook group, or to email plettfirewildlifegroup@gmail.com for any queries they may have.
Birds
Birds can and have moved out of the burnt natural areas. They will return to these areas once they are ready. Feeding in these areas does not make ecological sense and introducing foreign elements into these natural areas could be harmful. “By all means, set up feeding stations in your gardens to assist the birds during this period. Be careful where you place your feeders if there are domestic cats around, and beware of monkeys and baboons – then take feeders down.”
Setting up sugar water and pollen feeding points within a 2km distance from affected areas has been encouraged to assist bees while they search for new areas to establish colonies. Planting of flowering plants is also encouraged within gardens.
“Please do not feed monkeys and baboons. Under normal circumstances it is illegal, for good reason. We do not want them to develop an association between humans and food, which would ultimately end in their demise.”
There are a few troops known to have been directly affected by the fire due to their limited ability to move to suitable habitat. “Specific people have been identified to set up temporary feeding stations for these troops, done in a manner to ensure that there is no human association. “This is just a temporary measure until natural resources start to return.”
For antelope, bush pig, porcupine and other mammals, intact patches of vegetation within and adjacent to burnt areas have been identified as suitable areas for providing general relief feeding in the form of grain pellets and lucerne or teff. “Several landowners within these areas are involved here as well as additional volunteers.
“It is important that we keep the greater ecosystem in mind and do not interfere in ways unnecessary. The way forward needs to be carefully thought out, in consultation with key role players and specialists.”
The various groups believe to make a meaningful long-term contribution residents should embark on alien vegetation clearing programmes. Species such as pine and wattle played a significant role in spreading the fires and currently, the Garden Route faces very serious ecosystem and biodiversity challenges because of the alien invasion. They suggest planting indigenous species that will attract birds and other wild species.
- CapeNature Conservation, Eden District – 044-802-5300
- Raptors and owls – Radical Raptors, N2, Plettenberg Bay, 083-561-0973
- Snakes and reptiles excluding tortoises – Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary, N2, The Crags, 082-667-6588
- All other wildlife – Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Forest Hall Road, The Crags, 044-534-8170 / 082-486-1515
- Wildlife behaviour and diets– Brackenburn Crew, 072-303-7710
- Primates – Dr Magdalena Braum, 078-164-9471
Tracts of grazing that has disappeared after the fires and with it the source of many an animal's food.
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