Sylvester Stallion aka Rocky the Rock Monitor Lizard unknowingly hitched a ride on a truck from Kwa-Zulu Natal all the way to the Western Cape, so the SPCA helped him get home.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA Wildlife Facility shared some exciting news with us recently. They confirmed they were very excited, and a little surprised to find themselves face to face with a rather unusual visitor in late September. That visitor was a Rock Monitor Lizard all the way from Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Sylvester Stallion aka Rocky had accidentally hitched a ride on a truck and found himself on a journey from Kwa-Zulu Natal all the way to the Western Cape.
“Our Wildlife Department responded to this wayward traveller’s situation, bringing him back to our facility to be properly cared for during his stay with us – Sylvester was kept in a quiet and peaceful temperature controlled room and provided with an array of food options.
Sadly Sylvester isn’t really suited to the dry Cape and he needed to get back to a more tropical climate as soon as possible. Inspector Minette Pieterse noted that he just wasn’t feeling himself and had lost interest in eating most likely due to this stressful travel mishap.”
Rock Monitors are not indigenous to Cape Town and Sylvester’s only chance at freedom and of course finding some friends of his own kind, would be to return him to his native habitat in KZN.
The SPCA has friends in all the right places and those at CROW – Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife, offered to give the lizard a home to recouperate and once he is given a clean bill of health, they will ensure that he is released back into the wild.
Another one of the SPCA’s friends, BidAir Cargo- Cape Town Cargo Terminal immediately leapt to his aid, offering him first class flights back home.
“Even the real Stallone would approve. Thanks to their generous help he now has a real chance at a successful rehabilitation and release.
A special thanks to Jacques Le Roux from Pet Port for the tailor-made crate provided to safely transport Sylvester on his flight.
Thanks to Bid Air Cargo’s animal-loving team, Sylvester boarded his VIP flight on Friday the 12th of October at 17:00 and was back in his rightful birthplace by nightfall.”
Rocky is now on the road to recovery and will be released back into the wild shortly. Hopefully, he learned a lesson about hitchhiking across South Africa and decides to eat the travel bug next time instead of letting it bite him.