KAAPSEHOOP – A truck hit one Kaapsehoop’s wild horses with such force early on Saturday morning, that the mare’s unborn foal was torn from her womb. Flesh, bone and organs were strewn all over the road and what was left of her carcass was dragged for nine kilometres.

Ms Reinette van Niekerk of Kaapsehoop Wild Horse Rescue (KWHR) was alerted by residents of the small village on the D799 road that a foetus of the foal, a jaw bone and a hoof, were lying in the road.

She went to the scene and followed the blood trail on the tar. She found pieces of the carcass over the next kilometre.

She stopped searching when nothing else was to be found.

Even though this accident happened on the bend where visitors turn left out of Kaapsehoop, the rest of the mare’s carcass was only discovered later that weekend.

It was located nine kilometres away, at Ngondwana.

The discovery was made by an unknown motorist who stopped and pulled the carcass into the plantation, but mentioned it to friends. This information was repeated to Van Niekerk when she arrived at work on Monday morning.

“The only explanation is that it must have got stuck under the the truck, and eventually when it stopped, the driver must have removed it. If it was a car or bakkie, there would have been severe damage like we have often found in the past. This must have been a big truck,” said Van Niekerk.

At present the herd of just over 200 wild horses, of which 80 per cent are stallions, roam Kaapsehoop and the surrounding hills.

To Van Niekerk, who has been working with the wild horses’ welfare for more than 10 years, this accident is one too many. She was saddened by the fact that even though sponsors and the KWHR recently put more warning signs next to the road, the accident happened in front of one of these signs.

She is outspoken about the provincial authorities, who still have not responded to an emailed request sent in April by Marcelle Hoffman, chairman of the Nelspruit SPCA, to lower the speed limit on the road and to provide more visible policing.

Hoffman also suggested that rumble strips be placed on the road so that the noise will warn the horses of oncoming traffic.

“I want to challenge MEC for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL), Mr Pat Ngomane, to spend an afternoon on the road to see how we can help each other to take extreme caution for the horses’ as well as the motorists’ sake,” said Van Niekerk.

“I don’t know when last we saw a traffic official on this road. They really just don’t seem to care about the motorists or the horses.”

She suggested that owners of big trucks using the road fit the vehicles with tracking devices and monitor speeding.

“We need to evaluate all safety measures to really make a difference to everyone using this road.”

Mr Joseph Mabuza, spokesman for the DCSSL, denied the department having received Hoffman’s email. The e-mail was sent to the Chief Engineer of Roads, Mr Peter Sonemann on 24 April with a reminder on the 21st of June.

He said the MEC would only respond to such a challenge if he received it in writing.

He confirmed that the department is conducting a survey on conditions on the D799. This will include reporting on signage and an investigation into speed limits. It is expected to be completed in two weeks’ time.