Update
MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay Fire, Rescue and Disaster Management Services responded to an alert on Sunday afternoon, 16 October, that the landmark, large wild fig tree on the premises of Milkwood Primary School had been set alight. This is according to Mossel Bay Municipality.
The fire was put out and the incident is being investigated.
Firefighters were lauded by the ward councillor of Ward 8, Lodewyk Coetzee.
"Firefighters were seen literally disappearing in the branches as they tried to put out the flames," he said.
Mossel Bay Advertiser contacted Milkwood Primary School to obtain comment from the principal, Van Wyk Dames, about the wild fig tree.
He said the school had laid a formal complaint of arson with the police because a perpetrator was seen committing the crime. "It is alleged arson."
The identity of the perpetrator was not known, however, Dames said.
"We have asked neighbours of the school to keep a lookout. We are so glad the tree survived. It is such an important part of the school," Dames said.
Horticulturist
"We are concerned about the tree and are working with the municipality at the moment; Lodewyk assisted us in setting up a meeting with the municipality's horticulturist to have a plan of action to manage the tree because it is large. It is an expense and responsibility. We love the tree and the wildlife in the tree - the finches and other birds," Dames said.
Also this month, an Australian wild fig tree in Ward 8, on the corner of Church and High streets, was noticed to have been damaged maliciously. At first, an unknown person cut off some of the branches.
More recently, members of the community noticed some of the branches were dying. On closer inspection, staff from the Mossel Bay Municipality Parks Department saw that holes had been drilled into the trunk.
They discovered that diesel had been poured into the holes, presumably in an attempt to poison the tree.
Several experts have been consulted and the tree has been treated with charcoal in an attempt to detoxify it, the municipality noted. Director Elize Nel from the municipality's Community Services Department said that according to experts, the tree is in a "process of healing itself".
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