Above: Vanessa Cupido

Dassies are a familiar sight along the Hermanus coastline. They live among the rocky cliffs, often spotted sunning themselves before darting away at the approach of people or pets. But it’s highly unusual for one to leave the safety of the coastal rocks and end up far inland – especially inside a house. 

According to Corlie Hugo, CEO of the Kogelberg Biosphere, the most likely explanation is that the animal was seeking warmth and climbed into the engine of a vehicle, inadvertently hitching a ride into town. Displaced, stressed and surrounded by unfamiliar sounds, dogs and people, the odds are rarely in its favour. 

“Some people said they’d seen the dassie running around the area earlier. He was probably chased by dogs and then ended up in my house by chance,” Vanessa says 

“He got a fright and I got a fright when we saw each other,” she adds. “There was this moment where we just stared at each other.” 

Coming up with a plan 

Her first attempts to help were unsuccessful. “We didn’t know what to do. I phoned a few people and eventually got hold of Corlie. I felt so sorry for him – he was clearly confused.” 

With input from Michelle Watson, Rehabilitation Specialist at the Kogelberg Biosphere Wildlife Rescue and Training Centre, a simple but thoughtful plan was devised. 

“The advice was to close the curtains, place a box in the corner with a blanket over it, and shine lights in the room. The idea was to create one safe, dark space where the dassie would feel secure enough to hide. It made complete sense.” 

A SUCCESSFUL RELEASE 

Then came the waiting. Once the room was quiet and the door closed, the animal eventually hopped into the box on its own.  

Vanessa, together with family members and neighbour Pieter Arendse, carefully transported the box back to the coastline near the Old Harbour, where there’s an active dassie population. 

“We waited about half an hour for him to leave the box,” she says. “We even went for ice cream while we waited. Eventually he realised where he was and off he went.” 

Choosing compassion 

Corlie reflects, “In the busyness of modern life, it’s not often that someone goes the extra mile for something like a dassie. Vanessa could easily have chased the animal out, where it would likely have been killed by dogs or harmed by people. Instead, she chose compassion. That’s aligned with the Kogelberg Biosphere’s ‘living way’ – where people and nature coexist with care and responsibility.” 

For Vanessa, the decision was simple: “What God creates, we must preserve. I believe all life matters. And when I looked at him, I realised how special and intelligent they are.” 

She admits that many people simply don’t know what to do in situations like this. “It was a learning curve for me. If I hadn’t been able to get advice, I don’t know how it would have ended.”

Vanessa even gave her unexpected visitor a name: Snoekels – inspired by the way he lifted his little ‘snoessie’ (nose) into the air to sniff his surroundings.

“When he finally went free, it was wonderful,” she says. The biggest thing for me was that he wasn’t hurt. I would have cried if anything had happened to him.”

Corlie adds, “This is a lot more than a story about a dassie in a bedroom – it’s a choice that someone has made, and the kindness someone has shown to an animal. And of course, it captures what it means to live in a biosphere, where even the smallest life matters.”

 LATEST NEWS

You can take the next step, to become even more involved in the Kogelberg Biosphere.

And remember to include us in your social media posts, by using the hashtag: #BiosphereLiving.

Copyright 2021-2026 Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve Company. All rights reserved. Created with care by LoveGreen | Privacy Policy | Terms Website Use