NIEU-BETHESDA NEWS — The drive up the pass that overlooks deToren, just outside Nieu-Bethesda, is always a breath-taking one.

It is difficult to keep one's eyes on the road as the beautiful view draws them towards the valley below.

Early one Tuesday morning, October 10, a different sight was evident to a fortunate few.

What appeared at first to be some kind of creature waddling down the pass, taking in the mountainous view (as casually as a duck takes to water), on closer inspection proved to be a flush of South African Shelducks and their seven ducklings, casually quacking their way down the road.

Perhaps this little family was ducking and diving, avoiding the river way down below, but they seemed to have their ducks in a row as they took to this unusual environment like a couple of ducks to water!

It certainly appeared that it was like water off a duck's back to them as to the fact that they were completely out of their comfort zone, and fortunately none of them became sitting ducks and they waddled off safely into the veld!

South African Shelducks are common residents to the Karoo. They make their nests in aardvark burrows, feed off terrestrial vegetation, and, unlike this odd little family, tend to enjoy a more watery habitat!

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