The low water level of the duck pond in George Sutter Park have residents worried that the water fowl will once again become the victims of stray dogs.
Seven years ago, the water level in the pond had dropped and despite residents’ complaints to the metro to address the issue, nothing was done.
A horrific incident in July 2006 saw the children’s playground being turned into a place of death and destruction as stray dogs managed to enter the pond through the broken fence and then hunt down the water fowl.
The low water levels made it difficult for the ducks and geese to take flight when the dogs attacked.
Many of the water fowl were descended from the fowl brought over and donated to the Springs council by Queen Elizabeth II when she visited the town a couple of decades ago.
That morning Celeste Kleyn, senior inspector at the SPCA, counted 14 dead ducks and geese, as well as four that were injured and taken to a local vet for treatment.
It was later found that the pond had run dry as the borehole pump was broken and the pipe network had to be fixed and the metro was awaiting funds, R20 000, to fix it.
After the carnage on that cold July, the duck pond was revamped and the pump fixed.
In time, the ducks and geese were also replaced.
Today, the water level of the duck pond is very low with parts of the pond being completely dry. Holes in the fence, caused by disrepair and a tree that had fallen on the fence in one section, leave the fowl sitting ducks for intruders of any species.
Springs resident Ferdie Crous says he reported the problem to the metro’s parks department last week. The metro employees he spoke to told him that there are people who are supposed to check the park regularly and report any problems.
“They promised to contact those people in order to find out what needs to be done at the park,” he says.
Charl van der Merwe, a former parks department employee who has a master’s degree in environmental management, says he believes the problem to be the age of the borehole, which is 20 years old according to him.
He believes that the pressure of the water must have decreased over time, and this, among other problems, can be the reason for the low water level of the duck pond.
The rest of the park is also in need of some attention. Litter, a lack of enough dustbins and broken glass throughout the park is another problem that needs to be addressed.
Quintin and Yolandi Roux, a couple who visit the park at least once or twice a month, say that the park has seen better days.
“This is the only park we can come to and it is a sad thing that the pond is being left in its current state,” says Quintin.
Rudi Britts and Dominique Abrie come to the park to feed the carps and ducks.
They climb through the fence where a tree had fallen onto it, in order to get easier access to the pond.
Britts says that the tree fell down a couple years ago, but that it has never been removed.
