Please read a disappointing experience a Member had when visiting Bird Hide:
“We visited Bird Hide on Tuesday 21st August arriving at approximately 10.30am.
On opening the viewing hatches’, we peered over the right-side hatch only to see, to our absolute horror and disbelief, what appeared to be the remains of someone’s discarded meal consisting of ribs and mielie cobs, corn on the cob that was hardly consumed, that had been dumped on the outside of the hide. There was no evidence of any plate or eating utensils in sight. This seems to have been deliberate littering.
We watched a terrapin emerge from the water’s edge, make its way to one of the cobs and started to eat it. Surely mielie cobs do not form part of a terrapin’s usual diet?
What is particularly annoying and unacceptable is the apparent total disregard of “Bush Etiquette” and littering by a Member of Ingwelala! Does this Member for one moment think Ingwelala staff are there to clean up their mess and litter after them? Surely Ingwelala staff have more important duties than this?
It seems that we need to remind Members of their responsibility to clean up and remove their mess on leaving any of the hides and picnic spots and leave them in a clean condition for other Members to enjoy.
This was not the first incident I have seen of members littering and this behaviour must be discouraged.”
Food remains tossed out in front of the hide
Please be reminded that any type of feeding of wildlife (including birds) is prohibited on the Reserve.
The Member approved fine for the first offence of feeding animals is R 5000,00, the second offence is R10 000,00, and the third offence is a 12-month ban.
Approved AGM 2013 - Ordinary Resolution No. 2 14 November 2013
by John Llewellyn.