Orphaned duiker dies in Marina Beach despite rescue attempts
The duiker appeared to be only a couple days old.
A blue duiker, no older than a couple days, found itself alone without its mother, being chased by stray feral cats on Marina Beach a week ago.
These cats are known for targeting young wildlife, especially those that are unprotected by their mothers.
The duiker made its way into the backyard of Albertus Strydom and his partner Gail, through a small gap in the fence, where their domestic cats found it and herded it towards the house.
This is where Albertus first found the duiker, took a photo and called his contact in wildlife conservation. The conservationist suggested that he feed the duiker water from his hands.
Albertus continued to care for it before placing it back by the fence opening, hoping for it to return to its mother. However, the mother was nowhere to be found, and at about 21:00, he saw that the duiker was still lying by the fence.
Having observed the cold weather, he fetched it and wrapped it in blankets for the night. Albertus was surprised to find that the duiker had survived the night.
He then handed it to his contact who had advised him. Sadly, after great efforts, the duiker died on Monday night last week.
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