Preventative measures for the dassie issue

Humans are constantly altering the environment they live in to suit their needs, which causes destruction or changes to ecosystems.

New ecosystems are created with different effects on animals’ lives.

Some species will move away to escape the changes and others, like the dassie (rock hyrax), will move into the new human habitat making use of the additional resources available to them.

The abundance of food sources, refuge and, most importantly, a shortage of natural predators, all form part of the dassie population explosion. This is where human wildlife conflict comes in. Certain areas in Port Alfred have been plagued with an over-population of dassies causing damage to gardens, running around in ceilings, messing on roofs and contaminating drinking water – so much so that the help of the local role players was called upon.

A meeting was called by Environmental Affairs with the SPCA and Ndlambe’s Community Protection Services to discuss solutions to the problem and they came up with the following preventative measures:

• Fencing of 1.8m or higher with an overhang. The higher the fence the more difficult it will be for the dassies to climb over. The overhang on the wire also makes it almost impossible to climb over the edge.

• Closing all holes, in and under the fence. Place large stones/rocks or poles/timber to prevent the dassies from entering the property.

• Wire mesh fencing with openings smaller than 50mm. This makes it very difficult for the dassies to climb the fence.

• Precast walls – difficult to climb.

• Electric fencing. https://www.nemtek.co.za/equineandpet/pet-systems. (This should be used responsibly and to prevent unnecessary injury/suffering to any animal)

• Dogs (especially Jack Russells). Dogs will chase the dassies out of the property. This should also be done responsibly and not contravene the Animal Protection Act by means of inciting the dog or using the dog to hunt the dassies.

• Do not leave pet food outside.

• Cut away all overhanging branches close to the

house and fence to prevent the dassies from getting into your yard or onto your roof.

• Close off all access points on the outside of the house between the roof and ceiling. This will prevent the dassies from getting into the ceiling.

• Ultrasonic animal repeller.

http://www.pestrepellers.co.za/dassies-blr9pr.html . There is no proven evidence yet that this product works but is worth a try. (If you do try this product, please let us know if it works.)

The SPCA, with the help of the municipality, will monitor the situation and if the above preventative measures fail to make any impact, consideration will be given for possible capture and relocation of the animals.

However, dassies do not relocate well. Researchers found that by reintroducing dassies to a new habitat, the relocated animals were quickly taken out by predators and the exercise proved to be unsuccessful.

Please share your experience/outcome with us. E-mail us at inpectoratepotalfredspca@gmail.com.