Dog owners whose pets are responsible for wildlife killing sprees in a Cape Town nature reserve have been warned they face fines of up to R2 000.

Koos Retief‚ manager of the 880-hectare Table Bay Nature Reserve‚ said a growing number of bird-watchers and visitors to the the Rietvlei wetlands and Milnerton coastal dunes were complaining to the city council about unleashed dogs.

“These dogs often chase and sometimes kill rare and endangered birds and antelope such as steenbok and grysbok‚” he said.

Johan van der Merwe‚ the mayoral committee member responsible for environmental matters‚ said the nature reserve had designated dog-walking areas‚ and beyond these‚ dogs were banned from the Rietvlei wetlands and recreational water area.

Said Retief: “The city’s law enforcement officers‚ supported by biodiversity management staff‚ have issued numerous fines‚ ranging from R500 to R2 000‚ to dog owners who do not adhere to by-laws in the nature reserve.”

In another Cape Town dog fight in November‚ Sea Point lawyer Françoise Lempereur said she was living in fear after her pitbull dog attacked two other dogs. In an affidavit to police‚ she said the dogs’ owner had threatened her.

JP Smith‚ the mayoral committee member for safety and security‚ said later that Lempereur’s lawyers had informed officials that her dog had been taken to a rehabilitation centre. — TMG Digtial/The Times