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Fireworks seen on the picture above.
Animal welfare organisations are cautioning pet owners to take the necessary steps to ensure animals are protected against traumatising noise caused by fireworks.
The annual warning comes as many South Africans will mark the new year with the lighting of fireworks at midnight.
General Manager for Animal Anti-Cruelty Durban and Pietermaritzburg, Bronwyn Ablett, says incidents of burn wounds and erratic behaviour, including running away to escape the noise, become very common at this time of the year.
Ablett says it is imperative for people to understand that animals’ hearing is four times more sensitive than that of humans.
“So, when we hear a bang, we understand it’s a cracker or it’s a door banging. For an animal, it’s like a bomb going off. So, what we experience on New Year’s or whenever people are celebrating like this is very, very tiny and small compared to what the animals are hearing. I mean, if you’re an animal or pet owner and you see your animals’ ears prick up and you wonder what it’s heard, it’s because it can hear four times stronger than you can,” adds Ablett.
Related video| NSPCA sounds the alarm on fireworks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGIGlZQkZ8U
