The scorching heat gripping the interior of South Africa is not only taking its toll on farmers, but also wildlife, as natural water sources and shade disappears.
Richard Kotzé, who tests Bayer’s production lines, had a surprise encounter on Tuesday, December 3, at around 11:30. He was in a maize field on Gielie Nel’s farm Rietgat just outside Lichtenburg in the North West when he spotted two unusual visitors.
“We are currently experiencing extreme heat here and, to my great surprise, we found this duiker ram that came to seek shade under the maize leaves. He was lying right next to one of the wheels of the pivot. If I wanted to, I could have touched the buck; he was that close to us.”
Richard immediately took out his phone and took photos of the buck before he and Gielie walked further down the rows, busy counting plants. To their great surprise, they found another duiker, possibly a young ewe or lamb, further down in the maize field. “We almost stepped on the little animal – when you’re so busy counting you don’t even notice the kid.”
At the time, Gielie had paused irrigation to let the dam fill up. Concerned for the animals’ safety, Gielie and Richard returned a few hours later to check if the duikers were still there, fearing the pivot might harm them during irrigation. But by then the animals had moved on.
The chance encounter with the duikers deeply affected Richard, who said he noticed visible signs of heat stress in the duikers, as if the they were yearning for a little bit of coolness.
“It was heartbreaking to see how the extreme heat is not just affecting farmers, but also wildlife. Everything needs water to survive. The Harts River, which is nearby, has dried up, leaving no natural water sources for these animals,” he said. “I think they just follow the pivot tracks, hoping to drink the water left in the field. All one can do is hope they survive these tough conditions.”
