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History of TWT |
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TWT had its origin in 1986 when Sir John Sherry decided to buy a
property on the Klip River about 45 minutes drive south of Johannesburg,
Gauteng, South Africa.
Shortly after he decided to put up an aviary in the garden
with various softbills and other birds, and not long after he had a pair
of Mandarins and Carolina Wood Ducks for the pond.
A year later the Carolinas had ducklings and Sir John Sherry
was hooked! From this time on, the small-holding of 30 acres was slowly
transformed into a waterfowl paradise with fresh running water cascading
from the highest point – 600 meters from the river – all the way back
down to the river.
Small ponds and pens are concentrated near the house and are
for the more sensitive, delicate species. The larger ponds, which are
less wooded, are for the geese, swans and larger ducks. These open ponds
are also favoured by the hundreds of wild, indigenous duck, which come
and go, utilizing the food, nesting facilities and security that
Treehaven offers.
Treehaven has grown from 2 species to 140 different species
of ducks, geese and swans. It houses of course all 16 indigenous
Southern African species, all of which breed successfully every year. A
total of 113 species have been bred successfully, one of the most recent
being the Trumpeter Swan. This was very exciting, as it is only the
second time they have been bred in South Africa. There are also 70
species of wild water birds, which frequent the wetlands regularly such
as: herons, ibises and kingfishers.
The climate at TWT is perfect for all species of waterfowl.
The summers, although hot, are not too hot for the Arctic species.
Oldsquaws, Harlequins, Scoters and Eiders are all kept successfully. The
winters are cold (-10°C/14F in the morning is not uncommon) but dry and
still bearable for the tropical species such as the Hawaiian Geese and
whistling ducks.
Day length does pose a problem for the far northern species
causing irregularities during the moult. However, this is overcome by
placing them in the TLC (Tender Loving Care) camp, which consists of
only wire and water, and is protected from rain. Their broken feathers
are plucked and their feeding is monitored closely. After 6-8 weeks they
are ready for release onto the pond. Day length problems are reduced
slightly by lengthening the summer days by means of large spotlights.
What started as a hobby has become a passion and desire to
collect, breed and research all of the waterfowl species of the world.
Treehaven also has the aim to create public awareness of waterfowl, the
delicate habitats that they live in and how to preserve them. To this
end they have just opened the bird park to the public 4 days a week,
Thursday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Pre – booked tours are also offered
at TWT for the more discerning birders.
Facilities at Treehaven include a fully equipped incubation
room where Grumbach incubators are used to hatch most of the smaller
species of waterfowl eggs. Geese and swans are generally left to
incubate their own eggs.
Once dried off the ducklings are moved to the brooder room to
be hand-reared. There are cages for dry-rearing and tanks for
wet-rearing. A tiny camera monitors delicate ducklings via CCTV to
ensure that they are eating and to learn more about them.
A government approved quarantine station is also situated on
the property for newly imported birds. It is monitored closely by the
Department of Agriculture and of course the quarantine period serves to
get the birds in good condition after the trauma of traveling. Again a
CCTV system monitors the new arrivals’ feeding, aggression and other
behaviour. The TWT Aviclinic is fully equipped to handle any bird
casualties.
Source: official web of
TWT (2010)
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