Boschenmeer’s once beautiful peacocks are no more with the last on the estate recently having been removed.
Paarl Post previously reported about the plight of Boschenmeer residents who wanted to retain the country feel of the estate together with the peacocks that roamed the estate. But a vociferous handful of other Boschenmeer residents were not too keen on these birds complaining that the birds were keeping them awake at night.
And so, slowly but surely, peacocks and -hens started mysteriously disappearing.
In January another young peacock vanished. But this time it was known to residents what had actually happened. A resident reportedly lured the peacock with dog food and caught it in a trap before removing it to an unknown fate.
One irate resident, Heinz Wiesner, said that one of the reasons people find Boschenmeer so attractive, is justly because of the wonderful bird- and wildlife.
He said that the resident was reported to the home owners association but they did not deem it important enough to discuss the matter.
Wiesner said that the environmental rules of Boschenmeer are very clear: “No fauna present on the estate may be chased, trapped, disturbed, or harmed in any manner.”
The Constitution is clear too: “The HOA has the obligation to enforce member associations’ and owners’ obligations in terms of this constitution, the guide, and any rules in terms thereof.”
The HOA thus has the legal obligation to implement the rules and the homeowners decided in 2019 on a penalty chart. For a first offence a penalty is due of R500 and for the second offence of R1 000.
Wiesner said the fact that the trustees and management of BM turn a blind eye to a homeowner who removed the peacock is not only against the constitution and rules, but it also sets a dangerous precedent.
“Homeowners can see that such incidents don’t have any consequences to them and it will continue to happen. To transport a peacock not only needs experience how to catch them without any harm, but you also need a special cage.
“The improper catching and transporting alone is cruel and torture for these animals. In fact, there is a high chance that the peacock did not survive the ordeal. On that day the temperature reached 42 °C on one of the hottest days of the season in Paarl. The HOA should insist that the resident in question reveals where the peacock is to check if he is still alive.”
Last week the HOA decided to remove the peacocks, referring to a clause in the rules maintaining that it is forbidden to keep poultry in Boschenmeer.
Wiesner however says that nobody was keeping peacocks in Boschenmeer. The peacocks like other birds e.g. the owls, hawks etc chose Boschenmeer as their territory.
He further said that it is not only the peacocks that have systematically vanished, but also a swan.
“Homeowners’ cats were also removed by other residents. About a year ago a cat was attacked with a burning liquid and in another incident a burning liquid was poured into a homeowner’s fish pond, which is all very sick behaviour.”
