Stellenbosch University (SU) has again issued a plea to people taking their dogs for walks on Stellenbosch Mountain, to keep them on leashes, especially in the areas adjacent to the Welgevallen experimental farm.
This after some lambs were killed by dogs that roamed around the property freely, recently. The farm adjacent to the Coetzenburg sport fields, as well as large parts of Stellenbosch Mountain is owned by the university.
“SU’s Welgevallen experimental farm is a working research and training facility, primarily for SU’s Faculty of AgriSciences,” explained MJ Freeborough, AgriScience faculty manager.
“Activities conducted on the farm relate to learning and teaching of undergraduate students and research projects of academic staff, which are important sources for our postgraduate students’ research. The farm covers an extensive part of the Stellenbosch Mountain and is an important site for agricultural innovation projects related to food security.
Activities undertaken on site include the cultivation of agronomic field crops and undercover vegetable crops, horticultural and viticultural fruit production, plant breeding in new climate adaptive varietals of soil, and water and resource management, Freeborough added.
“We also keep livestock on the farm. The diverse landscape and proximity to the university within the borders of Stellenbosch facilitate the application of experiments that are designed to improve production, enhance efficiency, and improve the sustainability of agricultural practices,” he explained.
“The university does not mind sharing Welgevallen with the broader community, but certain activities of the general public do cause damage to our educational and research projects. The university’s intention is to continue to allow the public access to the Welgevallen farm and Stellenbosch Mountain, providing that the public respects the rights of the university and its assets. If not, sections of the farm will unfortunately have to be closed to the public.”
Freeborough added that dog owners must ensure their pets do not walk free on the mountain and that they are kept on a leash to control them. He said owners also have the responsibility to ensure that their pooches do not cause injury to other animals or people also enjoying the mountain.
Furthermore, he said the university has the right to ask people to leave the mountain if they do not adhere to the rules and regulations.
