“We won’t give up until we’re sure that no animal in need of help has been left behind,” says the SPCA’s Wildlife Cadet Inspector Bryan Arendse.
Western Cape, South Africa (22 December 2023) – Determined ground firefighting efforts supported by water-bombing helicopters continue on the Simon’s Town mountain slopes as the Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s search and rescue team scours the estimated 450 hectares of scorched earth for animal survivors.
“We’ve been at the site of the fire since the news broke”, says Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.
“The fire was raging, and it was hard to stand by throughout the night, knowing the flames were claiming victims but we had to wait until the area was deemed safe enough for us to enter”.
Battling uneven terrain and seemingly solid ground that quickly gives way, our team are regularly finding themselves knee-deep in hot ash and small flare-ups are regularly occurring around them. The ground remains hot and the search conditions are difficult. The loss of life is devastating to see and we’ve come across the charred and burnt remains of snakes, tortoises and lizards all of whom succumbed to either the smoke or the flames.
“It’s heartbreaking to find the lifeless bodies of the animals that didn’t make it. It is a huge loss for this unique habitat and our search and rescue efforts continue with urgency to find any surviving or injured animals. We won’t give up until we’re sure that no animal in need of help has been left behind,” says the SPCA’s Wildlife Cadet Inspector Bryan Arendse.
Fortunately, we are finding survivors who were able to seek shelter in time or were lucky enough to be in protected areas when the fire swept through.
We’ve been able to treat some animals in the field who have been found in dehydrated states but have recovered sufficiently with the offer of water or a water bath and could be immediately released in a safe area.
Arendse says “We’re thankful for these moments that show our efforts are not in vain”.
Rescue efforts will span several days and at this time of year, the SPCA already faces significant challenges with high volumes of animal admissions already stretching resources to their limits.
“Donations in support of our search and rescue efforts would be greatly appreciated,” says Abraham. “We are not funded by government and we need donations to cover the costs of fuel, man hours, overtime and potentially the treatment and rehabilitation of animal fire victims”.
Wildlife will have been displaced and the public are called on to monitor the Simon’s Town outskirts for displaced animals and to alert us if any are in need of help.
“Please call us if you come across any animals in need of help on 0217004158/9 or 0833261604”, says Abraham, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to animals in crisis”.
You can also help by picking up small animals or birds who are injured and keeping them in a ventilated cardboard box covered with a towel to minimise stress before calling us to collect them.
Remember that wild animals can be aggressive and injured wild animals additionally so.
You can also place shallow bowls of water in your gardens to help animals in need of water. Please add some rocks to the bowl so small animals can quench their thirst without drowning.
“It’s fine to put water down but please don’t put food out for the baboons. We’re looking out for them and getting updates on troop locations and their proximity to the fire. They are very intelligent and they’re doing a good job of keeping themselves safe. We won’t hesitate to help them if this becomes necessary. Feeding them is not only illegal, it is retaining them in an area currently prone to flare-ups and putting them at risk of harm in many other ways too.”
Donations can be made online: https://capespca.co.za/wildlife-news/ongoing-search-and-rescue-operations-amidst-simons-town-fire-crisis/.
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