Cape of Good Hope SPCA calls for a quiet Guy Fawkes night

CAPE TOWN - The Cape of Good Hope SPCA is calling for a quiet Guy Fawkes night, to protect pets and wildlife.

This as fireworks can cause serious harm to animals.
 
Tuesday marks Guy Fawkes, annually observed on 5 November, involving bonfires and fireworks displays.

READ: City of Cape Town readies 'enforcement and emergency services' for Guy Fawkes

The organisation's Belinda Abraham said animals could hear a wider range of sounds than humans can, and the sound from fireworks is at least seven times louder to them.
 
She said an animal's natural response is to flee from the noise of fireworks, often with tragic consequences.
 
"Wild birds and other animals flee, they become disorientated...they run onto highways, they fly into buildings or hide in pipes or drains. Birds even abandon their nests, leaving their offspring to suffer. We see pets running in blind panic through glass door panes and even into oncoming traffic."
 
Abraham said some animals that have found hiding places, will likely not find their way back home again.
 
"The effects of the noise on animals can be long lasting, sometimes resulting in nervous and aggressive behaviour so the absolute terror animals experience from loud bangs is a very real threat.

"It's extremely cruel, it's incredibly selfish and while we know that there are no designated sites in the city for the discharge of fireworks, there are still very many individuals who will continue to discharge them in the suburbs."