By Mumtaz Moosa Saley

Residents in Greenside, Johannesburg have been on the lookout for an injured Hadeda. The WhatsApp post began on the local Greenside community groups and soon went viral.

Hadedas are the alarm clocks we have all become accustomed to or the precursor to rain. But for some, they are an annoyance as their constant “haha, hahaha” breaks through the morning stillness or shattering the days calm. It must have been a real nuisance to the person who decided to put him or herself out of their aggravated annoyance and shot the bird with an arrow!

The Owl Rescue Centre, a non-profit went to work, after seeing pictures of the injured bird circulating on social media, to help find the Hadeda. Well, that turned the wounded Hadeda into an overnight social media sensation.

The Owl Rescue Centre found itself using unconventional methods to find the bird and settled on setting a trap to help catch the now-famous bird. A few days later, they were happy to report that the celebrity Hadeda had been rescued and the arrow removed. The bird was on its way to recovery. Once given a clean bill of health, he would be released into the wild where he belongs.
The Hadeda is a protected bird in South Africa and hunting or causing harm to these birds will see you imprisoned or slapped with a hefty fine.

Any information, regarding the incident, can be reported to the Owl Rescue Centre in Greenside.