IT'S NOT RAINING CATS AND DOGS - ITS RAINING PLATANNAS!

Thousands of the Common Platanna (African clawed frog) appeared overnight in the Onrus and Vermont neighbourhoods.

Tarron Dry, the Biodiversity Conservation Manager of the Overstrand Municipality advises residents to keep the Platannas in big buckets filled with water. 

The buckets must be deep and have high sides in order for the frogs not to crawl out when volunteers carry them to the Vermont Salt Pan, where they will (most probably) be released.

Sheraine van Wyk of Whale Coast Conservation confirmed it is Platannas, "because the hind feet are fully webbed and the front feet are small. They are amphibious and must stay in water".

Time is of the essence as the frogs need to go back to the pan before the sun comes out; those out of the water when the sun is coming out of the clouds, will likely die.

Phone the Environmental Management Section of Overstrand Municipality on 028 316 3724 / 028 313 5619 (o/h) or visit their offices on the corner of Molteno and Viljoen Streets in Onrus if anyone needs them to remove the frogs from their garden or swimming pool. Please mention your street address as well.

Issued by:

OM Comms

10 February 2022

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ONRUS VERMONT PLATANNA RELOCTION UPDATE 10.02.2022 @ 10:30:

After more information has come to light, it is now evident that the Platannas are migrating from the Vermont Salt Pan in a South Easterly direction towards the Onrus River.

Around 1 000 rescued Platannas have already been released at a site along Peterson Street on the banks of the Onrus River.

Liezl de Villiers, senior manager of the Overstrand Environmental Management Services (EMS) Department, would like to thank her team, as well as Whale Coast Conservation and many volunteers from Onrus and Vermont for their assistance thus far. She especially thanked the young helpers and future herpetologists for their willingness to assist catching and releasing the frogs.

Issued by:

OM Comms 

10 February 2022

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