Crying foul: Shock animal cruelty by top Bay schools’ matrics

Two of Gqeberha’s top private schools — Grey High School and Collegiate Girls’ High School — are currently being investigated by the Eastern Cape department of education for animal cruelty and vandalism by matrics during their “40 days” celebrations.

According to HeraldLIVE, the incidents of animal cruelty and vandalism by some pupils during their “40 days” celebrations, reportedly include poisoning khoi fish, as well as plucking and drowning chickens. The latest incident of tying two turkeys together and throwing them in an empty school pool, occurred on Wednesday 10 August.

The traumatised birds had to be rescued by problem animal control specialist and head of the Urban Raptor Project Arnold Slabbert.

ALSO READ: Lamb on a leash! Biryani is Sea Point Prom’s newest ‘celeb’ [watch]

ANIMAL CRUELTY: ‘40 DAYS’ GONE HORRIBLY WRONG 

As per HeraldLIVE, matric pupils from Grey High School and Collegiate Girls’ High School came together to celebrate their “40 days” which marks the end of their matric year before pupils write their final school exams. The celebrations, however, took a cruel turn…

“I got a call from a caretaker at a local school asking if I could collect a pair of turkeys. Evidently, boys from a well-known high school are celebrating their ’40 days’ before matric exams,” Slabbert wrote on his Facebook page.

“A week or so back, they started at their own school by tying chickens’ legs together and tossing them into the school swimming pool. Last night they visited another school where they trashed sports courts and took the turkeys with, to meet the same fate. Their plans were only foiled, because the pool [of the Collegiate Girls’ High School] was drained and undergoing repairs,” Slabbert said.

The publication further reports that koi fish were also poisoned.

According to a letter signed by Grey High School rector Christian Erasmus and governing body chairman Garth Morris, the pupils also vandalised the all-boy school’s campus with toilet paper, soap, flour and raw eggs on Wednesday 10 August.

ARNOLD SLABBERT ON ‘BIZARRE’ CRUELTY  

In a lengthy Facebook post on 10 August, Arnold Slabbert said the “40 day” turkey incident was “bizarre” and left him shocked. 

“The story is known by staff and caretakers but has been kept quiet. I wonder who is footing the bill to clean up the mess? No wonder so many of this generation are a stuffed-up crew of ill-disciplined little oxygen thieves,” Slabbert wrote. 

Although Slabbert did not name the schools, the comments section was flooded with people demanding him to name-drop. 

ALSO READ: ‘Plain homophobia’: SA school PUNISHES pupil for attending drag show

NSPCA ADDS THEIR VOICE 

In a Facebook post on Friday 12 August, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) said it was “deeply concerned” by the “lack of compassion” displayed by the Grey High School and Collegiate Girls’ High School pupils. 

“The NSPCA will be investigating these allegations of animal cruelty and will not hesitate to take the relevant criminal action in terms of the Animal Protection Act no 71 of 1962,” said the organisation.  

“To find joy in causing a vulnerable and helpless animal to suffer is a matter of deep concern and simply cannot be overlooked as a matter of ‘immaturity’.”