GARDEN ROUTE NEWS & VIDEO - Following the death of a flamingo on Langvlei around May 2, the flock that had been visiting the area disappeared for a while, but to the delight of local residents these flamingos have been seen feeding on both Langvlei and Rondevlei over the past couple of days, May 16 to 20.

At the time of the flamingo's death, SA National Parks (SANParks) Garden Route spokesperson Nandi Mgwadlamba said the flamingo was the fourth bird to be found dead in the area. She added that aquatic scientists had submitted dead birds collected over the past 18 months to various laboratories for tests to ascertain the causes of the death.

"Samples were tested for avian flu, Newcastle disease and avian botulism. All tests came back negative, though clinical symptoms displayed by affected birds indicate avian botulism as the likely cause of death," Mgwadlamba said.

At the time she added that scientists suspected that natural causes could have triggered the outbreak, "such as low water levels coupled with warm weather". The tests to determine the cause of the death of the one flamingo and the other three birds have not yet been completed.

Lead aquatic scientist Ian Russell says pH levels, the levels of salinity in the water and the presence of organic plant material are not substantially different this year to what they were last year. He has also observed that birds are dying in localised areas (Rondevlei Langvlei and Eilandvlei only).

"No dead birds were collected in Swartvlei," Mgwardlamba said. She added that the most appropriate response thus far to break the cycle of the transmission of any possible disease is to call SANParks, who will cautiously pick up dead birds immediately, thus removing them from the system in time not to spread to other birds. "Rangers respond by collecting the dead birds, which are disposed of by burial, or burning."