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was of a Greater Painted snipe, a very unusual record
for our area and a first for the Waterfall development.
something else that is interesting to note is that the Highveld
Baboon spider seems to be doing well here. They are
endangered and are saddled with a significant problem in that,
when their burrow is destroyed, they are unable to rebuild it.
highveld Baboon spider (EvD)
They lose that ability as they mature. so, if their home is crushed,
they will simply die. Happily, they are being spotted and
photographed within the development quite often these days.
While our resident wildlife is thriving, it is important to
remember that we all need to play our part in caring for
them and their environment. kevin shared a few tips with
us to help preserve our ecosystem as we move forward.
Firstly, do not release exotic animals into the environment.
This would include things like peacocks, parakeets, mallard
ducks, and even exotic species of hedgehogs (not to be
confused with our very special south African hedgehog).
There are two reasons for this. some species, like the
exotic hedgehogs, may not survive the environment they
Baby Leopard Tortoise (kG) are put into, while others threaten existing south African
species. “Mallards interbreed with our native yellow-
billed ducks, while birds like parakeets may take over
the nesting areas used by native birds,” he explains.
secondly, domestic animals can have a massive impact
on a wildlife system like that of Waterfall. Luckily, dogs
are easy to handle if you stick to the rules of having
them on a leash when outside. Cats are not as simple,
unfortunately. Cats still have a powerful hunting instinct
and have been known to bring home rodents, lizards, and
birds, no matter how well-fed these felines are. Ideally,
cats should be kept indoors as much as possible or at the
very least at night, during their most active hunting hours.
you can further limit their hunting by adding a bell to
their collars. Do your best to keep your domestic animals
and pets away from any of the surrounding wild areas.
Finally, we need to keep our beautiful Waterfall
environment clean. Even the tiniest scrap of plastic can
Greater Flamingos at the estate dam in Waterfall Village (sG) mean the death of some animals in the habitat.
“Recently, there have been plenty of photos of The Waterfall ecosystem is here for residents to enjoy,
the Nile Monitors shared on the residents’ wildlife and kevin takes great pleasure in encouraging the
messaging group, along with a few photos of our next generation of budding conservationists. “We have
local tortoises digging holes to lay their eggs. In the perfect outdoor environment for our children to
fact, someone was lucky enough to snap a picture explore, to discover all of the fascinating creatures
of a baby tortoise, which is great evidence that they inhabiting our endemic greenbelts,” he says.
are establishing themselves well here,”he adds.
While we, along with the animals, are taking a break during
A resident sighting of particular interest during the lockdown, we must always remain vigilant in helping to
lockdown period, supported by photographic evidence, protect this wonderful environment that we get to call home.
Waterfall Issue 7 2020 15
