This article was written by the Johannesburg Wildlife Vets.
You won’t believe who turned up next to the road in Bedfordview, Johannesburg…
Last week, a lady phoned us to say that she had found an eel lying next to the road in the middle of Bedfordview after heavy rains.
We’ll be honest – none of us believed her.
Until she sent a photo.
And there he was.
Very real. Very slimy.
Meet Niel the eel! – yes, that’s his name now.
Niel is an African longfin eel (Anguilla mossambica), a species that can move over land during wet weather, using rain and flooding to travel between water systems. Roads just happen to cut across routes that existed long before tar and traffic.
After some rapid eel research and careful planning, we found the perfect release site for him – the Olifants River, downstream of Loskop Dam. This gives Niel the best possible chance to one day make his way to the ocean…
And that’s important, because the sea is the only place freshwater eels can breed.
So next time you see something strange after heavy rain – a frog, a crab, or even an eel – trust your eyes and make the call. Nature is far wilder (and cooler) than we give it credit for.
Safe travels, Niel.
Picture: Supplied