Mallards pose a serious threat to our indigenous waterfowl through genetic contamination and competition for similar resources. They have hybridised extensively with the closely related yellow-billed duck, as well as the African black duck. The City of Cape Town has rolled out a visible public awareness campaign, including the erection of informative sign boards at NEED Locations. For downloadable posters and a mallard identification kit, click here.

Present at the meeting was Tim Snow (chairman of the NIAF), Debbie Sharp (Department of Environmental Affairs), Louise Stafford (City of Cape Town), Riaan van der Walt and Megan van der Bank (CapeNature), Kay Montgomery (Environmental Programmes’ Partnerships), Nicola van Wilgen (SANParks), Dale Wright (Birdlife SA) and Les Underhill (Animal Demography Unit, University of the Western Cape).

The NIAF was formed on 7 March 2013 in Cape Town. The aim of the NIAF is to co-ordinate efforts among all stakeholders and prioritise research efforts and implementation plans. It is open to anyone interested or involved in invasive animal management. Future meetings are scheduled to take place in KZN and in the Cape, and these intend to bridge the gap between people working on all forms of invasive organisms by creating awareness and collaboration. For more information, email Tim Snow at