Hikers on Table Mountain National Park have voiced their disgust at the number of bags filled with dog poo left on the side of mountain paths. This has prompted a request for bins at the entrance of dog-friendly trails to resolve this stinky issue.
Multiple complaints were expressed on the Table Mountain National Park Facebook page.
“We need bins at the entrances to all dog-walking areas!! Otherwise, we will always have this horrible, environmentally-unfriendly, mess (seen at Molteno entrance on a single day this week) [Note: Surely, in the absence of bins, using a stick to flick dog faeces into the bush is better??]” posted one user.
“Bagged poo is stupid and germ spreading. Flick poo far off the path if you are not prepared to remove the bagged poop. Nature will get rid of it soon,” commented another.
SANParks say they are aware of the issue and that it’s the responsibility of dog owners to behave properly while on the mountain.
“We urge people to leave their footprints only and we would appreciate if dog walkers and the general public take out what they bring in, eg litter or dog faeces when departing,” SANParks spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli told IOL.
Leaving behind dog faeces is against the city’s by-law on this specific topic. The only exceptions are those with guide dogs.
The lack of bins in an area does not count as an excuse for leaving dog faeces on the path. The expectation is that dog owners keep the plastic bags with them until a bin is found, even if this requires transporting it home to dispose of.
Picture: Table Mountain Facebook page.