Dr K has been honoured by being invited to join the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group, made up of individuals working towards saving the pangolin.
Johannesburg, South Africa (28 January 2022) – Dr K and her team at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital has been saving pangolins in South Africa for nearly five years now. Recently, Dr K was invited to join the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group – this is a great opportunity for her and the dedicated pangolin team.
The Pangolin Specialist Group is a global network of experts who are leading efforts to study and conserve pangolins. The species holds the status of the most illegally traded mammal globally.
The wildlife vet team took to social media to celebrate Dr K and her new appointment earlier in January.
“We are absolutely thrilled to share that Dr K has been accepted into the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group. This membership means that Dr K officially belongs to a professional group that shares the same vested interest in saving pangolin. Sharing Temminck’s pangolin experiences, and contributing to the global community of knowledge has always been our modis operandi, but this makes it official now”
The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital (JWVH) has become a leading expert in Pangolin medical treatment in South Africa. This is due to so many being found to have been trafficked; the wildlife vet has been forced to learn the best way to care for the fragile creatures.
The JWVH is currently the only facility mandated by the South African government to treat and rehabilitate pangolins confiscated in South Africa by the SAPS and conservation law enforcement officers on a long-term basis.
Early last year, the veterinary hospital received a massive investment into their work. As a result, they opened the first-ever dedicated Pangolin Veterinary Ward with thanks to Investec.
The medical staff stresses the message that all pangolin patients are housed off-site at an undisclosed location to protect them and all the medical staff. Due to the animals being in high demand, they cannot risk anyone knowing where they are being treated.
Nicci Wright from the team has also earned a place with the IUCN. Nicci has been reappointed as a member of the IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group and named the Continental Coordinator for Africa.
Both ladies are paving the way in wildlife care for South Africans.
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