Death of water birds investigated
Fourteen dead water birds have been collected in the Rondevlei area by SANParks from last week up until Tuesday. SANParks was alerted by a concerned resident whose two sons had brought home a number of sick and dead birds.
Nandi Mgwadlamba, spokesperson for SANParks, said the birds were collected for sampling. “The cause is still unclear and is being investigated by our scientists.”
She said they suspect that avian botulism might be the cause of death, but it will take about two weeks before there can be certainty. “Three years ago when similar symptoms were visible in birds in our area, it was after a hot dry season followed by relatively wet conditions. The last time a similar outbreak occurred, it did not pose a threat to humans.”
She said SANParks is in touch with the woman who reported the dying birds.
“We are collecting as much information as we can. We are relieved that not more have died, but losing even one bird is too much.”
The mother of the two boys, who asked that her name be withheld, told the George Herald the sick birds included plovers, black-winged stilts, a spoonbill, red-knobbed coot, spur-winged goose, an Egyptian goose, kiewiet and a blackwinged stilt. Her sons fed the birds mushed seeds and earthworms. “Quite a few birds have fully recovered, just by being fed properly away from the place they were found.”
She said that herbicide had been sprayed along the edges of the dirt road from the Die Vleie turnoff to the little bridge just before the road that points to Rondevlei. Vegetation had died. “In some places the dead vegetation is about a metre wide, very close to the water’s edge. In fact, some of the reeds that grow in the water have also been sprayed. Our pristine protected lakes area is not as protected as we like to think. The birds dying may have nothing to do with the poison, but just the fact that poison is being used to keep grass on the edge of the road in check, is pretty scary,” she said.
Garden Route District Municipality said they do not have any facts regarding the matter. “We will be able to give full comment as soon as a complete investigation has been conducted,” said Marillia Veldkornet, media communications officer.
The public is asked to call SANParks on 044 877 0046 to report the location of any dead or sick birds so that they can be collected.