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Waterfall News

WATERFALL’s

WiLdLiFE is THRivinG

Photography by Kevin Gow, Sue Gow and Elias Van Dyk

Lockdown has affected all of us, to

a greater or lesser degree. Social

media abounds with videos of wild

animals roaming the streets of our

cities. But have you ever wondered

what impact the restrictions on our

movement and activity has had on

the animals on our estates?

nile Monitors (kG)
W e recently spoke relocate - and the opportunity for the

species to breed in these last remaining
to a member of
the Environmental
could be lost. Perhaps the time of
Committee, kevin protected moist grassland habitats
Gow, to find out about the influence lockdown has taught us to be even
of lockdown on the wildlife within more careful in this regard,” he says.
the Waterfall development.
During winter, many animals take
According to kevin, the lockdown refuge in the long grass and down
period where humans were burrows, some hibernating, many
housebound, has meant that the in a state of torpor, so the wildlife
animals had a bit more space to seems much quieter and is less
enjoy. For example, during the more frequently spotted. That said, you
stringent lockdown levels, the animals may see species like scrub hares
could forage more freely, and some coming closer to gardens for better
of them could even breed more foraging. The jackals are also still
effectively. “Marsh owls actually nest active, and there are a couple of
on the ground in the long grass at large 1,8 metre-long Nile Monitors
this time of year. If a breeding pair of on the move, looking for a mate,
owls is disturbed, they may decide to as this is their breeding season. Marsh owl (kG)

14 Waterfall Issue 7 2020