Cow glow tags get green light

ONE of the most innovative of the five mayoral projects now approved by the Nelson Mandela Bay council is the cattle-tagging project.

Stray cattle owned by informal urban farmers have long posed a serious hazard to motorists, especially in Gqeberha and KwaNobuhle.

The new R100 000 project would target these animals, Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral chief of staff Kristoff Adelbert said yesterday.

“Approximately 2 000 reflective cattle ear tags will be procured through a tender.

“These will be fitted to cattle that are deemed high-risk in terms of proximity to roadways and likelihood of going astray.”

Leading up to the formulation of the project, public meetings were held with urban farmers and animal welfare agencies.

The aim was that if the ear-tagged cattle wandered into the road they could be spotted a long way off, even after dark, greatly reducing the number of motor vehicle accidents involving cattle, Adelbert said.

Every tagged animal would at the same time be registered and logged on a data base with all the contact particulars of its owner.

Besides tracking owners in case of an accident, the system would also help the farmers, for whom the cattle represented a considerable financial investment, he said. – Guy Rogers