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Cycads are only safe in Cell C
16/05/2002 10:41 - (SA)
17/5/2002
AT a time when the illegal export trade in cycads is receiving national publicity, a local nursery this past week suffered losses estimated at more than R30 000 due to cycad theft. Since Tuesday last week, 70 indigenous cycads have been stolen from Astrid Scheidereiter of Astrids Plants in Firgrove.
Cycads are a protected species and nursery owners need a permit from Nature Conservation to transport or sell them. All cycads must be accounted for. After the blow of the thefts, Astrid arranged for her remaining 48 cycads to be locked up behind bars at the Macassar Police Station.
"When Sergeant Anthony Erasmus suggested that the cycads be locked up in Cell C, I at first though he was talking about the cellphone company, but was told it was the place where confiscated stolen stock was usually stored," Astrid quips with a mirthless chuckle. The stolen cycads include the Encephalartos natalensis, E. forex, E lehmanii, E. lembomboensis, E. longifulius, E. villosus, E. transvenosus and E altensteinii species. Astrid discovered the theft of the first lot at 08:30 on Tuesday last week.
Suspects noticed
Thirty more cycads were also stolen from a production area in front of her house. She reported the theft to the police. By Thursday, no progress had been made in the case, and she discovered at 14:00 that more cycads had been stolen.
Witnesses reported that they had seen suspects heading towards the N2 and Macassar. She reported this to the police and requested that they send a vehicle to investigate, but was told that there was no vehicle available. Astrid says she then drove to the police station in Macassar herself to offer her car to them to track down the suspects. The Dog Unit was also called in, but the search was unsuccessful.
Astrid lay charges against the owner of a local trading store on Friday when some of her stolen plants - not the cycads - were found on his premises. Astrid says she is willing to buy her cycads back at R50 each. Their actual value ranges from R250 to R600 per plant, depending on the size and species. She is also offering a R1 000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the culprits. Phone her on 842-2602.
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