Another ‘buck up’ at reserves
NORSCOT - Getting pregnant blesbok females from the overpopulated Norscot and Kingfisher Nature Reserves relocated is an annual struggle.
Last year the civic committee for the reserves struggled to move four buck. They warned that new additions to the herd would cause havoc, with little grazing opportunities.
This year, the committee wants to once again move buck from the reserve, including pregnant females. The two small reserve that are joined has become like a cage, with one committee member saying a buck died last year when it ran horns-first into a tree and became stuck.
However, the civic committee’s swift action to ensure the survival of remaining buck has not been met with the same urgency by Johannesburg City Parks.
The area manager has not given any word on the situation, after receiving a plea from committee members mid-August to sign off documents to move the animals.
“Where is the care for these animals?” committee member Mary Borkett asked.
While City Parks is in charge of maintaining the reserves, the animals are said to be on the reserves’ asset register, meaning there isn’t much legality to move the animals.
This would have been different had the animals been property of Johannesburg City Parks. The area manager only needed to get approval to move the animals, which could spearhead an action plan to relocate a few buck.
The start of September was earmarked as an opportune time to move the animals, as females weren’t heavily pregnant.
“We do not wish to endanger the pregnant mothers and we cannot have another Summer with the males chasing the herd and causing injuries and further deaths,” Borkett said.
The area manager, legal department and communications department of Johannersburg City Parks have been notified of the plan.
Johannesburg City Parks is yet to respond with an action plan concerning the animals.
