Teamwork saves zebra from being eaten

Thanks to teamwork, the life of a young zebra mare was saved this weekend. Chairman and trainee inspector of the local SPCA, Marcelle Hoffman said she received an urgent call from a pupil of BHS on Saturday at 21:46. Siyabonga Manyisa, who would one day like to become a veterinarian, was very sad and upset when he informed Marcelle of a young wild zebra running in the road past Jathira in the direction of Mediclinic.

While Marcelle headed to the scene, another BHS pupil, Chanté Jooste, contacted her. Jooste was in one of the vehicles traveling behind the zebra.
“By the time I arrived at the scene, Hi-Tech was already present, but also among the vehicles was a Venture taxi and it repeatedly looked as if the driver wanted to hit the animal on purpose.”

The zebra turned left, with Marcelle and Hi-Tech following her, towards Barberton Guesthouse (Androtties). She then ran into Verulam.
“At that time I thought it was one of Greenstone’s zebras and together with Hi-Tech we entered Verulam,” admits Marcelle.

By the time the residents of Verulam became aware of the zebra, they started following her with shouts of “Nyama!”, which means meat in SiSwati.
“While chasing her, they beat her with sticks and threw bricks at her. At which time, Hi-Tech helped to keep the people at bay while I started to whistle to her like one does for a horse. There is a wooden church in Verulam which is partially fenced and that’s where we found her – bewildered, confused and frightened. Remember, she is food for predators and she knows it, so any sound or movement was sure to send her fleeing.”

Hi-Tech officers Riaan Prinsloo, André Market and Collin Nyambi secured the one area where the fence was open with rope so that the zebra could not escape.

It was established that the animal belonged to Nic de Witt, owner of Keyfarm. He was informed and it was arranged that a veterinarian would come out early the next morning to sedate the animal in order to return her to her home.
Owner of Hi-Tech, Sakkie Dednam agreed that officer Christo Ruthven stay with the zebra while Marcelle and the other officers went home. They left at approximately 04:00 and were back on the scene just before 06:00. “I was very afraid that people would start showing up for church before we had time to remove the zebra.

“Fortunately the vet, Silke Pfitzer, arrived just after 08:00 and darted the zebra with a tranquillizer. She also treated her with antibiotics for a wound she had on her left hind leg. By the time people arrived from the community, the animal had been safely loaded onto the Hi-Tech bakkie and I allowed the children to come closer and touch the sleeping zebra, making use of this opportunity to educate them.

“In our economic climate, many of especially the rural community can see only food when they find a wild animal running around.
“It happens often that the animal gets attacked with machetes or as in this case, bricks are thrown at it or it is beaten with sticks. These animals sometimes escape, but badly wounded and terrified. Every opportunity I get, I speak to the children about love for animals, animal cruelty and how they should not only see them as food,” she says.

With the zebra safely returned to her home, Marcelle conveyed a special thank you to Hi-Tech for their help as well as to Siyabonga Manyisa, who did not hesitate to inform her of the zebra.