Garfieldzar has created a cute video where he recruits a new rescue dog to help combat the hadeda army that has taken over his garden.
South Africa (09 June 2025) – There is nothing more South African than being jolted awake by the unmistakable, ear-splitting cry of a hadeda (or ten) at dawn. Both beloved and begrudged, the notorious Hadeda ibis has strutted its way into local folklore with all the subtlety of a vuvuzela in a library… As I type this, I can see a poor, sodden one sitting on my neighbour’s roof, just waiting to make a sound.
Yet, for all their dramatic flair and gardening habits, South Africans have developed a strange fondness for these glossy creatures. They’re tough, unbothered by city chaos, and comically unflappable, mirroring our national spirit in their own awkward way. Some say the hadeda is a symbol of resilience. Others just wish it would keep quiet on a Sunday morning. Either way, love them or hate them; no South African skyline would be complete without them.
Garfieldzar, a local content creator, has created a bladdy cute clip where he is instructing his newly recruited rescue on the Great Hadeda Battle in his garden. PS: This is a spoof; no hadedas have been harmed in the making of this video.
I personally don’t mind them in my garden nor the noise they make, but I do mind the giant turd-bombs they leave behind, which my dog has taken to using as his favourite eau de cologne. We have a lot of bath time in our home…
Just remember, the hadeda is protected, so don’t ever do anything that would cause them harm or place them in danger. If you shoo them away, that usually works for a bit, they will go find some delicious grubs somewhere else.
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