GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - A car-loving dassie (rock hyrax) that seemingly wanted to broaden its horizons into the Garden Route, caused quite a stir when it, unbeknown to the driver, grabbed a lift from Hout Bay to Knysna about two weeks ago.

"I have an unusual problem," began the WhatsApp message from Karen Gschwend to George-based animal charity, Cat Assistance Team (Cat) Garden Route, on Saturday 8 July.

"Last weekend we went to Hout Bay and came back with a young dassie in our car," wrote Gschwend.

"I parked my car at Noetzie Beach for three days hoping he would leave. No luck. I fetched my car and parked at home. The dassie is active in the morning, back in the car by 15:00. Can you help?"

Well-versed in nutty challenges, Rita Brock and her team from Cat Garden Route patiently trapped the stowaway where Gschwend created a safe haven by filling a covered cat carrier with grass.

"That left us with a challenge," said Brock. "The Cape of Good Hope SPCA advised us how to handle and feed our furry friend. But they said dassies are territorial, so it couldn't be released just anywhere, and ideally should be returned to Hout Bay."

However, lucky for the little dassie, help came when Hoekwil Humane Society's Herita MacDSonald offered to take the dassie back home.

"I once brought a three-legged dog from Grabouw to George, so getting a dassie to Cape Town seemed easy," she said.

And so the furry hitch-hiker was chauffeured back along the Garden Route. 

"A perfect passenger, happy with banana and apple. Hopefully we won't see it back on the N2 with a R10 note and a sign saying 'back to Knysna'," MacDonald laughed.

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