Glen Eden in a whirr over helicopter menace

GLEN Eden residents have reported two helicopters that are allegedly terrorising animals in the area by flying low and chasing off the wildlife.

The helicopters pilots not yet been identified.

Cathy Coleman, a bird watcher and Glen Eden resident, said she had spotted helicopters flying low over the lagoon near her home and chasing local animals.

“They fly two metres above the ground and chase the donkeys,” Coleman said. She added the helicopters, one red and the other yellow, would occasionally fly in circles around the animals.

Cathy’s husband, John Coleman, is a former employee of the Civil Aviation Authority,

have and said he had informally brought the matter to the attention of inspectors.

John said he was also concerned the red helicopter, the worst and serial offender of the two, did not appear to have a registration number.

“If it does have a number, it’s not clearly visible, which is against regulations,” John said.

Coleman said she was concerned about the safety of the donkeys.

“One of the donkeys is pregnant, and there is a baby with them,” she said, adding wild buck that once visited the lagoon had left the area.

Coleman said the helicopter flights, apparently four times a week, had been a problem since March last year and chased away much of the birdlife, including nesting fish eagles.

Several other Glen Eden residents contacted by the Saturday Dispatch agreed the helicopters were an annoyance.

Local estate agent Anita Bryant said she had seen the helicopters “come right down” to hover over the lagoon.

“The donkeys are terrified. The helicopters seem to chase them, but I don’t know why they are doing it,” Bryant said.

East London SPCA senior inspector Lionel Taylor said while it was ethically cruel to scare the donkeys, it might not be legally. “You would have to prove the pilot had criminal intent, that they were deliberately trying to scare the donkeys,” Taylor said.

A representative of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who did not want to be named said the CAA could not comment on the helicopters without receiving a formal complaint. — michelles@dispatch.co.za