Entries by Bronwyn Hayes

Africa’s elephants now endangered by poaching, habitat loss

April 20, 2021 in , /by

Increasing threats of poaching and loss of habitat have made Africa’s elephant populations more endangered, according to a report released Thursday by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The African forest elephant is critically endangered, and the African savanna elephant is endangered. The two species had previously been grouped together as a single species and were classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. The number of African forest elephants has fallen by more than 86% over a 31-year period, while the population of savanna elephants dropped by more than 60% over a 50-year period, according to the IUCN, which rates the global extinction risks to the […]

Elephant seal surprises Cape Town beach-goers

April 8, 2021 in , /by

Beach-goers in Cape Town found themselves sharing the sands at Llandudno with an unusual visitor, a Southern Elephant seal, on Thursday. Steve Benjamin, whose company, Animal Ocean, runs seal snorkelling trips to Duiker Island in Hout Bay, said it’s not the first time such large marine mammals have visited the Mother City. “In 2016 we were surprised to find a young Elephant seal resting on the island with our Cape Fur seals,” he explained in a post on Facebook. Southern Elephant seals – which can weigh up to 4 000kgs and dive to 2 388m for up to 120 minutes […]

Some 200,000 animals trapped in Suez canal likely to die

April 8, 2021 in , /by

The worst maritime animal welfare tragedy in history could, by now, be unavoidable, says Gabrile Păun, the EU director for Animals International, an NGO. There are 16 ships taking live animals from the EU to the Persian Gulf which have been stuck for several days behind the stranded ‘Ever Given’ cargo vessel in the Suez Canal. Even with the Ever Given now slowly moving again, the live animals inside the blistering cargo containers, which are quickly running out of feed and water, are now nearing an even more tragic end than that which awaits them in the slaughterhouses at their […]

‘Hidden’ dangers around the home that can be harmful to your pet

April 5, 2021 in , /by

Pet parents know that taking care of their pets is a full-time commitment and no matter how hard we try to keep them safe, there are dangers that we may not be aware of, says Dr Guy Fyvie, Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s veterinary advisor.  Pet parents are mostly aware of the common dangers, such as ensuring your dog can’t get out of your yard or home, that your cat isn’t able to wander at night and not keeping up to date with your dog or cat’s vaccinations. But what about those hidden dangers that aren’t that obvious?  Fyvie provides us with […]

New bill could see testing of cosmetics on animals banned

March 30, 2021 in , /by

Cape Town – Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) South Africa has initiated an amendment to the Animal Protection Act that would ban cosmetics testing on animals. Chairperson Toni Brockhoven said it believed some cosmetics houses have been lying to the public about testing on animals. She said there was an assumption that animal testing for cosmetics does not take place in South Africa. But because of a loophole in the system, although products might not be tested on animals, the ingredients might be, she said. BWC hopes to prohibit the sale and manufacture of cosmetics final products and ingredients which were […]

Pet sitters caught on camera abusing dog while Hermanus owner was away

March 30, 2021 in , /by

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) is investigating a case of animal abuse after a dog owner released camera footage of her dog sitters abusing her seven-month-old boxer pup. Two pet sitters are depicted in the video, first appearing to hit the dog, called Hector, before one of them grabs the pet by its skin and violently flings him out of the house through an open door. Hector’s owner, Mel Coltman, had found the pair through a Hermanus community Facebook group when she asked for recommendations for a reputable dog sitting service. In […]

Helping your pet on their weight loss journey

March 25, 2021 in , /by

“He’s not overweight, he’s just a little bit round.” “It’s puppy fat”, or “Shame he’s just growing into himself.” These are some of the excuses pet parents lovingly make for their ‘on the higher end of the scale’ fur babies. “Pet parents take pride and joy in knowing the love and attention they give their pets can be seen by others,” says Marycke Ackhurst, pet behaviour expert from Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Hearing your pet is overweight can be more heart-breaking than hearing it about yourself.  When it comes to loving our pets, we often think that the more we treat […]

New jumbo-sized Megachews from Montego Pet Nutrition

March 18, 2021 in , /by

Training sessions and often-dreaded visits to the vet can now end on a much happier note for your dogs with Montego Pet Nutrition’s new Bags O’ Wags Megachews. These mighty treats are an extension of the Bags O’ Wags range and are ideal for larger dog breeds. The 30cm jumbo-sized, nutritious treats are extra-long and extra-delicious making them an excellent reward for good behaviour, the perfect incentive when training or a between-meal-snack. These tasty treats are available in three variants: Bacon Flavoured Spare Ribs, offering a chewie outer layer of goodness, Beef Flavoured Marrow Bones with a soft and meaty […]

Pets bring much needed emotional support this International Day of Happiness

March 17, 2021 in , /by

Pets bring much needed emotional support this International Day of Happiness For many of us stress and anxiety are a way of daily life but since the onset of COVID-19 and with-it lockdowns, social distancing, and a total change of our norms there has been a dramatic increase.  “The emotional effects of the pandemic will only be fully evident and understood in years to come, but what we do know right now is that many adults and children are struggling,” says Marycke Ackhurst, pet behaviour expert from Hill’s Pet Nutrition.  The emotional support that dogs and cats provide can help […]

COVID-19 fuels pet obesity

March 16, 2021 in , /by

COVID-19 has had a profound effect on all of us including our pets, with recent research* undertaken in the US revealing that more than 71% of pet professionals say that the pandemic has impacted the way our pets are eating. As a result of this, over 30% of pet parents surveyed who have an overweight pet, say that their pet has become overweight since the start of the pandemic. Many of us have an emotional relationship with food so it is not surprising that we have developed this for our pets too during these tough times when we are spending more time […]