If things carry on as they are now, there won’t be any wildlife left to see. This needs to stop.

Janet Cuthbertson tells the sad story about Silky and her mother:

“Saturday morning we awoke to our zebra calling. That is always a reason to feel uneasy as it usually points to a problem! Our game guard was no where to be found. Our budget only stretches to employ one game guard. We should ideally have two, properly trained and armed, but it costs about R5000.00 per month to do this.

True to our expectations, we found one zebra missing. It seemed to be the new baby’s mother. Rob and I then started searching the bush. The baby was definitely on it’s own and came running out of the bush where we were searching for them. The other zebra would not approach us, which is unusual, but they were obviously upset and still calling each other.

The little foal’s call was almost like a bird sound… I managed to get close to her and to manoeuver her to join her dad and the other young female who had run around the ridge. The herd used to consist of her mother, the father and the other young female. Now her mother was missing. Old Boy’s mare and young foal who always stay separately, joined them after a while and they all ran off together to the bottom of the reserve.

We kept looking desperately and also called in neighbours to help. KZN Wildlife (Parks Board) were unable to come as they were doing a game count. We could not bear the thought that she may be struggling somewhere in a snare.

Rob and I searched till 3pm, but could not find her. We returned to find out what had happened to our game guard. Afterwards, we continued searching until nightfall, and then we went out for a quick bite. I burst into tears in the ladies room at the restaurant. I was thinking of how the little foal had been walking so forlorn with her head down. She was obviously sad and distressed and wanting her mother.

That night and the next morning – still no game guard, so we continued looking. We could just not find the mother. The baby seemed ok and was still with her dad and the other mare, who she tried to drink from. Rob and I trekked the 200 hectares back and forth the whole day! Last night the zebra all came up to the lawn and nuzzled my hand. The little baby came near and I held some milk in a dish, but she was unsure.”

“Tonight the zebra came up to us at our veranda again, and they are very protective of the little foal. She is trying to nurse from the young female, who doesn’t mind too much. The dad and the young female keep her between them when we approach. I took some photos. They eventually laid down and all slept just next to the veranda in the light. Before that she stood sleeping with her head down.” (02 July 2007)

Sadly she had developed colic and we could find no one to help, except telephonic advice from the CROW (Centre for Rehabilitation Of Wildlife) vet who was very caring and sympathetic. I sat with her until she died. We are all heartbroken about her death.

Can you believe that the wildebeest came close to see what was happening? When Silky was too weak to move, just her little ears kept moving, as she still tried to hear everything around her.

This morning we buried her next to her mother, at the tree where the mother had been buried after she had been snared and hacked up. At least I feel better knowing that my little darling is now back with her mother! The day before she died after stroking her coat which she loved, we decided to call her Silky.”

“At the moment the matter of the animal abuse by poaching in our area, is resting at the door of the Assistant Commissioner of SAPS South Africa, Head Office. I am also busy with KZN Head Office, whose official verdict is that they should be dealing with poaching issues according to their responsibility, to enforce the law concerning the protection of wildlife.

The SPCA seem powerless to act up here, as they’re too far away. The press has already done a report previously, so follow up and investigative reporting will be better. We cannot let Silky and her mom’s death be in vain.” (19 July 2007)

Please help prevent this from happening to other wild animals

Your (financial) support is very much needed to provide protection for the wildlife in and around Suni-Ridge, and for the continued efforts with environmental education within the local communities.

Below is a copy of the letter that Janet sent to a friend about this tragic event. Further down, you can also read the letter about little KHOLA, the foal that was born after Old Boy’s death. Khola is the inspiration behind the KHOLA Sponsor Ad Campagin.

We have some sad news about Old Boy, the zebra who befriended us and posed for a photo with your Dad. Yesterday morning I woke up and felt myself choking with a panic attack due to a dream. This is the first time I have experienced this type of emotion.

The dream was about some calves that had fallen down exhausted in a cattle trek, where they were being herded to the market. I knelt down and realised that the calf which I thought was dead, was in fact still alive and I then noticed that there were many others that were being left behind as their mothers were herded onwards. It was a disturbing dream and I felt distressed all day and couldn’t really explain why. I woke up with this experience at about 6.30 am.

During the morning we noticed that Old Boy had not come up to the house as he usually did between 6 and 7 am. Our Wildlife Guard reassured us that he was out on the field eating fruit off the trees. When I went to feed the animals in the evening though, he was not there. As he had once again, not come up to the house I realised that something must be wrong. I went out and searched until about 10pm.

This morning I went out again very early, as I hardly slept during the night. Sadly I discovered him snared and strangled on the bush path at the bottom of our property. Our favourite Old Boy, our friend for 12 years
was murdered senselessly.

I went back a little while later to photograph and record the crime. I released poor Old Boy from the snare and placed some soft grass which I had taken from our lawn, under his head – just to make me feel better – as I am sure he is with all the other zebra galloping around in the other realm of life.

The amazing thing is that we realised that he must have died at about the time that I woke up from that disturbing dream, feeling as though I was choking. I would refute that we could have this type of connectedness with animals, but for this to just be a coincidence seems incredible.

I am distraught about this poaching. Our Wildlife Guard scouted the surrounding bush where he found about 15 other snares. The Police explained that they do not have the resources to deal with poaching control. KZN Wildlife at False Bay are struggling to manage with their few guards to oversee and protect 2500 hectares. They too are unable to assist.

This means that we have to fund the prevention of poaching as the Government is unable to do so. Because we provide a buffer zone for the Greater St. Lucia World Natural Heritage Site, I believe that funds should be made available for the humane management of animal life in our area surrounding the Lake.

Do you have any ideas about how we might motivate this type of support, perhaps from International sectors?

Perhaps we could make Old Boy’s death meaningful by using it as a motivation to strive for an organised poaching prevention unit for the buffer zone of Greater St. Lucia World Natural Heritage Site?

In this buffer zone, many animals are being inhumanely strangled to death as the area is very rich in wildlife (that is outside the reserves) and no one seems to control the poaching. If the carnage was domestic animals, there would be a huge outcry!

Do let me know if any ideas come to mind and perhaps you could tell your Dad about Old Boy as I know that the moment they shared was quite special.

Kind regards, Janet

I thought you may enjoy this photo of the new born baby of “Old Boy” the zebra that was sadly snared. His mare was in foal at the time when he died. Two days ago she gave birth to this beautiful little foal.

© Khola - Old Boy's foal that was born after he was snared and killed

She has been very brave to have coped on her own without a stallion to help her. She would not join the other stallion at Suni-Ridge, but kept herself and her previous young mare foal separate from him and his mare.

We held our breath as sometimes the foal will not be tolerated by another stallion, but this one has accepts the colt when he comes near.

I actually watched the mother mare nuzzle this stallion, then pass
on the nuzzle to her little foal and she repeated this action a number of times.

His mother continued with the pregnancy and in spite of the adversity that she experienced she did not abort the little fellow. She could have lost him as she was very distressed.

We have decided to name him Khola, which is the Zulu word for “to have faith” or “to believe”.

She called and searched for “Old Boy” for many days as he had been her mate for about 8 years. She had a very long gestation period. Zebra are able to “hold” the baby until conditions are suitable and I think that it is because she had no stallion with her, that she delayed the birth.

The wildebeest also rallied around her that morning after the foal was born and even the impala were all alerted looking in her direction, thus showing us before we saw the foal, that something was happening. Nature has much to teach us.

Kind regards, Janet

© Khola in September 2007 with his mother - visit him and stay at Leopard Walk Lodge