Cape Town - Animal rights activists and the Cape of Good Hope SPCA inspectors are concerned that there is a rise in the number of animals being killed for muti.
This comes after the wildlife inspectors attended multiple cases of animal abuse, including that of a captive Cape fur seal, in the past few days.
The SPCA is pursuing animal cruelty charges against a suspected traditional healer in Philippi East where the seal was found.
The wildlife inspectors were alerted to a seal being illegally held at the house, possibly for the purpose of traditional medicines.
Janet van der Vywer, a wildlife inspector, said: “When we arrived on the scene, she was lying on the hot sand in direct sunlight. She had severe head trauma which caused one eye to bulge. She was having seizures.”
Veterinary treatment failed and the staff had no choice but to euthanise the seal.
Belinda Abraham, spokeswoman for the SPCA, said the organisation was baffled as to how the seal was transported or sedated. “A seal bite is the worst type of any animal bite”.
She said it was her first experience of a seal being used in African traditional medicine. However, she said they were aware of seals being used in Eastern traditional medicine.
She said there was legislation that could be considered when formulating the charges for the suspects in the incident relating to the seal.
The Sea Birds Protection and Seals Protection Act No 46 of 1973 states that “no person shall pursue or shoot at or wilfully disturb, kill or capture any sea bird or seal”.
If the seal was removed from a marine protected area then suspects could also be charged using the Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1988, which states: “No person shall in any marine protected area, without permission in terms of subsection (3) - (a) fish or attempt to fish (b) take or destroy any fauna and flora other than fish.”
They could also be charged under the Animals Protection Act No 71 of 1962.
In a separate case in Phumlani, an informal settlement near Grassy Park, a resident was caught selling an injured mole snake.
According to SPCA trainee wildlife inspector Minette Pieterse, a hawker wanted to sell the snake for R100.
“On inspecting the snake we discovered it appeared to have a broken back - likely as a result of being struck across its spine in order to subdue it.”
Animal rescue organisation Tin Can Town also rescued two tortoises from a sangoma’s home in Blikkiesdorp last Sunday. Clarina Hanekom, resource developer of Tin Can Town, said the Cape mountain tortoise, which is endangered, was found dead, and the angulate tortoise, who they have since named Fat Albert, was found alive.
He was weak with blood under his scutes, part of the thick bony plate on its shell.
“It is believed that these two tortoises were to be used for muti.”
Residents told the organisations’ rescuers that tortoises had the ability to protect one from evil spirits and they therefore liked to keep them as pets.
Hanekom said Fat Albert would be released back into its natural habitat once it has recovered. Abraham said tortoises were sometimes used as an aphrodisiac.
“Holes are drilled into their shells so they can be attached with a string to bed posts. We find a lot of tortoises with holes in their shells.”
However, Abraham said that according to her understanding of traditional medicine, it was unethical for traditional healers to kill or harm animals for medicinal purposes.
She said it was not an attack on traditional healers, but they asked people not to support healers who harm animals.
The SPCA was also concerned that donkeys had become the latest victims in the trade of animal parts for medical use in the Far East.
The organisation said there was an escalation in donkey theft brought on by a demand of donkey-byproducts to Asia.