End of the road for Bot River horses
AT first, townsfolk enticed them with treats such as apples, carrots and lucerne.
Now, a herd of wild horses that has roamed the Bot River estuary for more than a century is to be relocated — because it has become a nuisance and safety hazard to locals.
Not only do the horses wander into gardens and eat flowers, they roam the streets of Fisherhaven in the Western Cape, and “pose a risk” to small children.
The horses have caused tension among residents and the Overstrand Municipality, which has decided to relocate the 10 horses by the end of January.
There are 27 wild horses in the region. The herd was separated from the rest of the Kleinmond wild horses in 2009 when the estuary was mechanically breached.
But the municipality’s decision to relocate the herd to the Botvlei area, where it originally came from, has met with some resistance from animal lovers.
Liezel Bezuidenhout, the municipality’s environmental manager, said the horses had become “habituated” from feasting on fruits.
Bezuidenhout said they posed “serious risks to the health and safety of the public” because they reportedly sometimes wandered onto busy roads. She said a task team had recommended the horses be relocated, and funding had been received from private donors to facilitate this.
But Tracey Whitelaw of Rooisand Horse Watch said residents had not been fully consulted. She said the group had presented an alternative to the municipality. “This included signage, upgraded fencing along the edge of the village next to the R43 [road] and the implementation of a bylaw to prohibit the feeding and petting of the horses,” said Whitelaw.
“Humans are the greatest danger when they harass them or cause them to bolt.
“For the most part they graze peacefully in the village and are a joy to behold for visitors and residents alike,” she said.