Feathered family goes astray

Diane Macfarlane was enjoying her morning holiday stroll along the Ballito promenade when she spotted a rather peculiar family waddling along the beach – Egyptian geese.

She decided to follow them, as she was worried about the incoming tide, when drama unfolded.

“Two of the goslings were greeted by the waves, causing panic among the parents. They luckily got back to shore, but the rest of the chicks faced trouble as they had been swept out and were being washed up onto the rocks,” said Macfarlane, who was on holiday from Johannesburg.

“The stressed-out parents managed to fight their way through the changing currents and dodge through the rocks to safety, with six of the goslings following.”

The seventh gosling, however, was a lot smaller than the rest and could not keep up.

“A kind lady and myself joined forces and ran to help. To our surprise, it was like the mother knew we wanted to help and did not even try to attack us. The father kept the rest of the public at a distance, with many dominating squeaks and quacks!”

Just as the family was reunited and safe, a lady walking past with her dog frightened the geese and sent them running back onto the slippery rocks. This is when a helpful UIP guard stepped in.

“He immediately took on an important role of directing and managing the little family to shore, while acting as a protective barrier to keep the little ones away from the ever growing tide.”

Backup was needed, so Macfarlane contacted Specialised Rescue Unit, who took the family away from the beach to their new luxury home, Coco de Mer.

“Specialised Rescue Unit were great and very understanding. It was comforting to see their personal concern for the animals’ safety. I was a little perturbed at the ignorance of some members of the public, who accused us of interfering with the animals’ movements. It seems to me that they just saw the ‘cute family waddling along the beach’ without realizing the danger about to arise.”

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