Dogs kill remaining birds at the Botanical Gardens |02 December 2023

A pack of dogs attacked and killed five ducks and a peacock housed in the aviary at the Botanical Gardens, Mont Fleuri in the early hours of Thursday.

In a press briefing yesterday morning, the garden’s general manager, Nathachia Einfeldt, said it was regrettable as this incident now reduces the number of attractions in the gardens.

“Those birds were a key attraction that was well appreciated by our clients,” she stated, adding their introduction was part of their ongoing effort to render the place interesting and lively.

According to Mrs Einfeldt this was the second incident since last year when the last remaining swan was killed by dogs.

The Botanical Gardens provides security service at night. “The security officers initially saw the dogs during their routine patrol and managed to chase them away but they returned later and forced their way into the aviary, which is built with barbed wire,” she explained.

Mrs Einfeldt said the pack of dogs comprised strays and domesticated animals whose collars were visible. She has therefore appealed to nearby residents to be responsible owners and ensure their animals were not roaming.

Meanwhile, the Botanical Gardens does not have any plans to re-introduce new bird species. Mrs Einfeldt said their short-term solution would be to address the dog issue.

“I will not say we should build a fence around the garden as this would be costly, but we could relook at the current structure and make it more secure. We will also work with animal control agencies to capture those dogs and prevent them from roaming in the gardens and threatening our animals.”

Mrs Einfeldt said they would also increase their patrols, as the dogs were also threatening the tortoises, which have been able to withstand the threats as they are robust.

Compiled by Patsy Canaya