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Weslander <\/em>het met Swanepoel gesels oor sy lewenslange passie vir die natuur en bewaring, \u2019n roeping wat reeds op skoolbanke begin het en vandag \u2019n groot deel van sy daaglikse lewe opneem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDie eerste opdrag wat God aan die mens gegee het, is om na die aarde en diere daarop te kyk,\u201d het Swanepoel vertel en verduidelik dat natuurbewaring nie net \u2018n passie vir hom is nie, maar dat dit ook sy roeping is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Swanepoel het grootgeword in Krugersdorp, Gauteng maar woon vir die afgelope 26 jaar in die Weskus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNa skool wou ek bitter graag Natuurbewaring gaan studeer, maar in daai era was die persepsie dat jy in so \u2018n beroep nie geld maak nie,\u201d vertel hy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Swanepoel wat ook \u2018n kreatiewe kant het, het in die grafiese ontwerp bedryf sy eie besigheid gehad in sy geboortedorp en nadat hy verhuis het Weskus toe, met die besigheid voortgegaan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ongelukkig het die besigheid nie so goed gedoen as wat beplan was nie en hy dien tans die kli\u00ebnte wat getrou by hom gebly het van sy huis in Velddrif af. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEk dink die Skepper weet wat Sy plan is met my en met geen formele opleiding leef ek my passie uit om Sy natuur te bewaar,\u201d het Swanepoel vertel en genoem dat die passie omtrent 80% van sy dag opneem en as daar \u2018n slang te vang is, \u2018n vo\u00ebltjie te redde is of \u2018n diertjie is wat seergekry het, is hy \u2018n oproep ver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sowat agt jaar gelede het Swanepoel op \u2018n plaas in Elandsbaai gewerk waar \u2018n kobra slang hom amper gepik het. Hy het kort daarna ingeskryf vir \u2018n slanghanterings kursus by Exotic Animal World waar hy opgelei is hoe om alle soorte slange te vang en in hul natuurlike habitat vry te laat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hy het sy platform \u2018Dwarskersbos Snake Rescue & Conservation\u2019 geskep en is gewild in die Weskus as slanghanteerder en natuurbewaarder. Swanepoel is ook lid van die African Snakebite Institute en het ook \u2018n wettige permit vir slanghantering en vrylating vanaf Cape Nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBewaring begin met opvoeding. Ek gebruik my sosiale media platform om almal te help om die belangrikheid van alle wilde lewende wesens te verstaan,\u201d vertel hy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Swanepoel is gevra om uit te brei oor die slange in die Weskus en het genoem dat die Kaapse kobra, Boomslang en Pofadder van die giftigste slange in die omgewing is. Tydens die slangseisoen wat strek van Augustus tot April, het hy reeds sowat 79 slange gevang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSlange hou van skuiling en koelte. Dit gebeur soms met onwikkelings dat slange gesteur word in hul natuurlike habitat en soek dan \u2018n ander plek vir skuiling. Enige plek waar daar koelte, kos en water is, kan jy heel moontlik \u2018n slang aantref.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vir die gemeenskap wat \u2018n slang in hul huis of tuin gewaar, is Swanepoel se raad die volgende: Swanepoel het ook uitgebrei oor die teengif wat nodig is indien \u2018n persoon gepik word. Hy het genoem dat teengif slegs deur mediese personeel toegedien moet word en dat noodnommers dus vinnig toegangklik moet wees indien iemand deur \u2018n slang gepik word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEk kan nie my passie uitleef vir natuurbewaring sonder die hulp van my netwerk nie,\u201d het Swanepoel vertel en veral die personeel van Weskus Veeartseny Ing genoem en bedank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Swanepoel is vir die laaste sewe jaar 24 uur aan diens vir sy gemeenskap en huiwer nie om selfs twee uur in die oggend uit te gaan as hy gekontak word om \u2018n slang te vang of \u2018n diertjie te red nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hy het hande gevat met ander rolspelers en is in die proses om \u2018n nie-winsgewende organisasie te skep: SWERF wat staan vir Sandveld Wildlife Educations Reservation Facility. \u2018n NWO wat nie slegs op die vang van slange sal fokus nie, maar veral op die onderrig van natuurbewaring, want soos hy dit gestel het: \u201cWithout education there is no conservation\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hy hoop om SWERF ook op internasionale standaard te kry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So het \u2018n seuntjie in laerskool se passie vir natuurbewaring by \u2018n bloukop koggelmander begin en gestrek tot die drumpel van \u2018n internasionle organisasie wat wil fokus om die Skepper se natuur en dier te bewaar. Kontak Ettienne Swanepoel by 082 066 3911 vir meer inligting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cEk dink die Skepper weet wat Sy plan is met my en met geen formele opleiding leef ek my passie uit om Sy natuur te 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\u2022 Probeer, so veel moontlik om nie sig op die slang te verloor nie. Slange is rats en kan vinnig verdwyn.
\u2022 Kry jouself, familie en troeteldiere veilig.
\u2022 Moet nie self probeer om die slang te vang of te hanteer nie, skakel dadelik \u2018n slanghanteerder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n