Johannesburg - Two animal welfare groups have threatened to lay charges of animal abuse and neglect against the mayor of Ekurhuleni, Mondli Gungubele if the situation at the Rynfield Bunny Park in Benoni doesn’t improve.
The ultimatum was delivered by Ban Animal Trading (Bat) and the Bunny Park Animals 911 Group at a meeting with Victor Nesengani, the divisional head of parks and cemeteries, on Tuesday.
“It is clear that (the municipalty is) incapable of caring for the farm animals and bunnies at the bunny park.
“Without the continued assistance of the volunteers from the 911 group and the public, all the animals would have died of starvation, thirst and illness,” Bat said.
It has demanded that it be given control of finding new homes for all the farm animals as well as capturing, treating, sterilising and rehoming all the rabbits.
“Charges of animal abuse and neglect will also be laid against the mayor if our demands are not met and these animals are forced to suffer further neglect,” it said.
Bat expected its demands to be met by Friday.
Last month, the metro promised to allocate R250 000 for emergency maintenance at the park, including repairs to the boreholes, dredging the dams and clearing their overflows and inlets from debris, and building a new camp for the goats.
The bunny park has been suffering under the throes of illness, neglect and mismanagement.
In July, The Star documented that the heads of many of the rabbits at the park were covered in growths that obstructed their eyes, ears, noses and mouths.
The rabbits and livestock had a shortage of food, water supplies were dirty and breeding was uncontrolled. Since then, members of the public have been donating food to the 911 group, who have been feeding the animals regularly.
On Tuesday, the metro said all the animals at the park had been given a clean bill of health by the state vet.
“In his report, the chief vet, who is based at provincial level, said most of the animals examined were found to be healthy and no evidence of zoonotic skin (orf) disease of sheep and goats was found as alleged,” spokesman Themba Gadebe said.
“The chief vet confirmed that the majority of bunnies exhibited normal behaviour. However, he also noted that there were some that were severely diseased as a result of mange.”
Gadebe said no negative findings were made on the park’s other animals.
The services of a nutritionist would be enlisted to determine the correct diets for the animals, while R7 million had been made available for the maintenance of the park over the next three years,he said.
The Star
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