Umdloti’s Humphrey the chicken a symbol of survival

Apart from the many well-known artists and sport figures that call Umdloti home, Humphrey the chicken might just be its most famous resident at the moment.

Although she has been ordained as Humphrey, given her home near the humps at the entrance to Umdloti, other residents also know her as Cluck Norris or Peri-Peri, to name but a few.

She has become something of a local legend, sparking frantic posts on social media when she is not spotted for a few days.

Once such case was during the second bout of floods last month, when Humphrey briefly went missing.

“We didn’t see her for a while, so became a little worried. Her home is near where heavy flood waters passed through, so she could easily have been washed away,” said Tracey Simkiss of the Umdloti Conservancy.

“Naturally the concern grew until I had an amazing find while joining a beach clean up.”

Simkiss was trawling along some rocks when she spotted a tangled mass of wood, fabric and nails.

“I thought I better move it so that no one got injured. Lo and behold, when I dragged it away I noticed it was a canvas painting of a chicken that had found its way to the beach.”

Simkiss took it as a positive omen that Humphrey was fine, and sure enough, the amazing avian popped up as if nothing had happened.

For a community that has experienced so much difficulty in such a short period, Humphrey’s willingness to persevere and survive has confirmed her position as an indelible entry into the fabric of Umdloti.

So next time you enter the sunny seaside town, keep an eye out for the warden of the humps and harbinger of Umdloti’s bright future.

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