Rumours soon got out of hand, stating that a rare phenomenon was seen in the Loskop area, further down from the Loskop Dam wall.
\nIn the video, hundreds of fish, including barbel and carp can be seen battling the stream.<\/p>\n
As exciting as it is to be witness to such a natural phenomenon, it cannot be confirmed whether the video was taken in the Loskop area, says Andre Hoffman, an aquatic scientist on the Mpumalanga Parks Board.<\/p>\n
Mr Hoffman explained that the mass of fish seen in the video is a very natural migration pattern known as a spawn run.<\/p>\n
Fish species like barbel, paling, forel and salmon often travel upstream during their breeding season, to lay their eggs in fresh waters.<\/p>\n
He added that spawn run sightings have become less frequent due to the placement of dam walls and weirs, hindering the fish from gaining access to rivers upstream.<\/p>\n
Spawn runs often result in a flare-up of activity under wildlife, as predators zone in on the large shoals of fish. Natural predators who feed on the fish, as well as over-fishing and netting by community members, often have a big impact on fish populations, resulting in only one percent of the eggs that are laid, surviving.<\/p>\n
Mr Hoffman explained that the vegetation seen in the video is not indigenous to the Loskop area and suspects that it was taken elsewhere.<\/p>\n