CapeNature last inspected park in 2021

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - While the Mossel Bay Municipality has publicly announced that an investigation has been ordered "into the lead-up to and course of events that gave rise to the steps taken" surrounding the tortoises and animals kept at Harry Giddey Park, there still remain many unanswered questions.

Questions surrounding how many tortoises were handed over from the park to the Garden Route SPCA Mossel Bay, how many were euthanised, how many other animals were handed over and their condition at the time of the handover have still not been responded to.

Statement

Last Wednesday, 31 October, The Mossel Bay Municipality posted a statement on its Facebook page, stating that "severe flooding between December 2022 and January 2023 resulted in significant damage to parts of Harry Giddey Park".

It noted that some of the bird cages built years ago were significantly damaged, with the cages needing to be rebuilt and that at the start of the repair work, which included the filling of sinkholes, repair of stormwater pipes, walkways and a stone barrier adjacent to Park Primary School, "it appeared as if the building work had a negative impact on some of the park's resident animals and birds".

One of the tortoises at Harry Giddey Park, showing a nasal discharge. Photo: Leon Rossouw

Questions

Mossel Bay Advertiser sent questions to the municipality last Friday, 1 November, regarding when repairs and construction started, when negative impacts on the animals were noticed and if the municipality sought consultations with any vets or specialists regarding the potential effect the building could have on the animals before work started.

There has been no response to these questions. The municipality also said in its statement last Wednesday that since the establishment of Harry Giddey Park, "CapeNature and the Animal Protection Society (SPCA) have made regular visits to check on the animal camps and that these visits sometimes also included training for the park staff."

Permit

CapeNature spokesperson Luke Folb said that CapeNature was not involved with any training for Mossel Bay Municipality staff at Harry Giddey Park and that the last inspection it did at the park was in 2021, for the renewal of the municipality's previous captivity permit.

Folb said the captivity permit to keep the tortoises expired in 2022 and that the permit included three species of birds.

He said that during the last inspection, "CapeNature previously found the enclosures to be generally neat, with clean drinking water and food supplied. CapeNature has previously requested that grass be established in the tortoise enclosure to cover the bare soil and subsequently a portion of the enclosure was covered with grass by the municipality," he said.

A tortoise with watery eyes at Harry Giddey Park. Photo: Leon Rossouw

"Checking general health and seeking veterinary care forms part of day-to-day care and remains the responsibility of the animal owner."

The Advertiser also sent questions to the Garden Route SPCA Mossel Bay branch, asking if it had given park staff any training in the past and when the last time was the SPCA had visited the enclosures. These questions have not been answered.

Meeting

Folb said that CapeNature is in the process of arranging a meeting with the municipality, during which the non-compliance matter will be discussed.

When asked what steps are usually taken when CapeNature finds a person or organisation keeping wild animals without a permit, Folb said it approaches each matter on its merits.

He said it would depend on various factors, such as the number of animals, the condition of the animals, the nature of the captivity, and the purpose of the captivity. "For minor offences, a written warning or a fine can be issued. In more serious cases, the person can be arrested and a formal case can be registered.

“In such cases the person, on conviction, can be imprisoned and will get a criminal record," he said.

Inside Harry Giddey Park. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse

Repairs

The municipality also noted in its statement last Wednesday that "animals will not be housed in the park until repairs, as mentioned, have been completed".

On 24 October, the municipality posted on its Facebook page that "several years ago, the council resolved that the Harry Giddey Park will undergo further development to turn it into an even greater attraction for the town’s residents and visitors. Plans for the proposed development are still in the conceptual phase."

The Advertiser sent questions to the municipality asking about the development. No response has been received.

Mossel Bay mayor Dirk Kotzé said in a statement that a "complete investigation into the lead-up to and course of events that gave rise to the steps taken has been ordered so that all aspects in the interest of prudent, transparent and effective government can be thoroughly and independently analysed".

Investigation

He noted: "The findings of this investigation will, once concluded, be thoroughly examined in the interest of effective governance. "Until then, the municipality will not respond to speculation. The information that has already and repeatedly been provided to the print media and published on the municipality's social media will suffice."

He said a "full statement will follow, and the public will be comprehensively informed once the investigation is completed, and the report scrutinised".

SPCA responds about tortoises

The Garden Route SPCA has responded to some of the questions about the tortoises from Harry Giddey Park that had to be euthanised after they tested positive for a contagious disease.

Garden Route SPCA area manager Cheri Cooke said the municipality called on the SPCA to assist with the animals at the park.

SPCA officials were accompanied by a veterinarian to assess and assist with the animals. "Some of the tortoises were found to have ocular and nasal discharge, difficulty breathing and were extremely thin. Because their shells hide their torso, it can be difficult for an inexperienced person to determine the health status of a tortoise," said Cooke.

Just inside the entrance to Harry Giddey Park. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse

"Our veterinarian conducted more in-depth diagnostic tests and sadly the tortoises were found to be suffering from the highly contagious mycoplasma/herpes infection. Treatment for mycoplasma is extremely difficult in tortoises and even if they do survive, they usually remain carriers of the disease," she said.

"The disease is spread through nasal or ocular discharge. Tortoises greet each other nose to nose. The major concern was that these tortoises could not be treated and released back into the wild because they would spread the disease to our wild populations of tortoises."

The veterinarian "made the heartbreaking decision to euthanise the tortoises". Cooke said that due to this outbreak, the SPCA will ensure all tortoises rescued in and around Mossel Bay will be isolated and tested for mycoplasma before being rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

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