For Kingswood’s wilder residents

On a bright January morning back in 2018, George Animal Hospital welcomed Dr Christiaan Blignaut to its team of veterinarian specialists and animal-loving support staff.

Fast-forward to August 2022, when the good doctor made his acquaintance with Kingswood Golf Estate, its herd of springbok, and the man in charge of caring for KGE’s wildlife.

Stalwart among those steering various aspects of Kingswood Golf Estate, Community and Facilities manager Dan de Wet has featured within these pages sporadically in the past. Not one to seek acknowledgement or accolades, Dan goes about the business of overseeing the wellbeing of Kingswood’s animals in his unassuming but never-miss-a-beat manner.

No census for fauna

‘There are approximately 50 springbok on the estate at present, but it’s of course not possible to supply numbers for other wildlife species that traverse our grounds,’ says Dan, adding that residents regularly report sightings of small game.

‘I received word of a porcupine spotted in a stormwater drain at the Knightsbridge play park a while back. I asked people in the vicinity not to disturb it, as porcupines are nocturnal and it would most probably find its way out – which it did.’

In the past, residents fortunate enough to witness some of the estate’s transient four-footed visitors have reported these sightings to Dan with a sense of awe and appreciation: among these count the elusive caracal, as well as otter families flourishing in tributaries of the Rooi River.

Mind our featured friends

In the BUZZard edition posted on 17 June 2021, a feature titled ‘Kingswood’s Wild Residents’ touched upon the subject of Egyptian geese and these birds’ impact on golf courses around the globe.

This is an ongoing issue, with little change in the instincts of these exotic visitors: Egyptian geese are known to harass other bird species on the course and that, along with their excrement spread far and wide, are two of the main problems experienced by golfestate residents and players worldwide.

‘I personally don’t enjoy them, and yes, being exotic and breeding like mice, they are more than just a pain in my portfolio … But it’s a particularly emotive matter, with some homeowners in opposition to any form of interference with the geese.’

So is there anything else that’s noteworthy on the ornithological front? The answer, it seems, lies in the current change of seasons.

‘It’s hatching time again for many species, which can lead to increased predation and a higher rate of roadkill incidences. We have asked via our weekly report for residents and their guests to be on the lookout for such cases when driving along the estate roads.’

Call Dan on 086 172 7170 to report wildlife sightings, any matters related to animal-human road encounters, or emergencies occurring in your midst and which may need the attention of Dan & Co.

In clocks the animal doc

KGE’s informal collaboration with Dr Christiaan Blignaut commenced two months ago, when Dan called on this energetic young vet’s expertise to dart a ewe in order to trim her hooves.

Says Christiaan: ‘My first call to Kingswood was a quick in-and-out affair, but there will probably be similar opportunities in the near future – buck often suffer from overgrown hooves.

‘After having darted her, it was a simple procedure to cut her overgrown hooves down to size. In many cases, this is simply a conformation error: if the conformation of a buck’s hooves isn’t right, such situations occur. Prevention is difficult to impossible.’

Management plan in pipeline

Dan says that, albeit a quick visit, the subject of drafting a wildlife-management plan for Kingswood was briefly touched upon when he initially made his acquaintance with Dr Blignaut. But such a multifaceted strategy can simply not be rustled up overnight.

‘An extensive timeframe is required to tackle the bulky task of a wildlife-management plan, but I hope to reconnect with Dan de Wet in the weeks to come. It’s a complicated project and one can’t just put forth random numbers, as there are many factors impacting the groundwork.

‘One thing worth mentioning is the fact that Kingswood is in a special and unique position, which presents a golden opportunity to maintain a healthy ecosystem,’ says Christiaan. Keep an eye on the weekly reports released by Dan’s department for more news on this front.

Some vital vet’s stats

Raised in the Western Cape town of Ladismith, Christiaan matriculated from Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale in Riversdale. He proceeded to attain his BVSc Veterinary Science from the University of Pretoria, completing his Medicina Veterinaria at Onderstepoort. He was fresh out of university and had just completed his Compulsory Community Service (CCS) when he relocated to George, and is enthusiastic about the future of his trade in this Southern Cape boom town.

Christiaan is married to Amey, and the couple welcomed daughter Alet into their lives two years ago; also part of the family are two pint-sized pooches. Visit georgevet.co.za to find out more about the services offered by George Animal Hospital.