Nelson Mandela University, with its main campus uniquely situated in a nature reserve, has become a safe haven for rehabilitated wild animals.
Over the past few weeks, numerous owls – and even three honey badgers – have been released onto the university’s south campus by Wildline co-director and conservationist Arnold Slabbert.
“When you rehabilitate birds of prey and other animals, you look for a safe, poison-free place to release them.
“This is usually a temporary base for them, and they spread out from there,” Slabbert said.
The university is one of several poison-free areas used by Wildline. Another is the Port of Ngqura (Coega).
“We only release the animals in areas where they are already found,” Slabbert said.
“Honey badgers are found all around Mandela Bay.
“Our work is not just about the animals,” he said.
“We look at the land, the rights of everyone – and we try to alleviate [human-animal] conflict as much as possible.”
Other creatures Slabbert has released on the Summerstrand campus over the years include owls, jackal buzzards, long-crested eagles, brown snake eagles, tortoises, porcupines, snakes, lynx, mongooses, genets and geese.“Releasing the animals at the university is also helping to get the wildlife balance back after that massive fire [across the north and south campuses in early 2017].”
Slabbert has also rescued and treated injured animals from the university, including zebra, springbok, monkeys and a blue duiker hit by a vehicle.
And the university has assisted Slabbert too, providing live tilapia fish for a recuperating otter to hunt.
The birds of prey released at the university keep the rodent population in check.
Slabbert urges people not to poison rodents, as this also poisons birds that feed on them.
He runs a separate business together with Allison Cawood – called Urban Raptor Project – where he introduces or encourages birds of prey into areas where rodents or pigeons are a problem.
The Urban Raptor Project is assisting with bird control at the university’s campuses.
Wildline is a private rehabilitation centre, with government permits to deal with all wild animals, including threatened species, across the Eastern Cape.
NMU’s sustainability manager, Andre Hefer, said: “Our core values at the university include sustainability and environmental stewardship, so we want to and need to work with companies that promote sustainable practices.
“Wildline and the Urban Raptor Project fulfil that role, with regards to our partnership around wild animal release at and around our nature reserve, and problem animal control.”