Rescued Secretary bird being sold on the roadside, taken to the Johannesburg Wildlife Vet and is recovering well.
Johannesburg, South Africa – A Secretary bird was spotted being sold on the side of the road in Springs, Gauteng. The SPCA there quickly sent out investigators to retrieve the bird before any more harm could take place. The bird was suspected of having been caught in a snare before the attempt to sell it was made.
The Springs SPCA then transferred the beautiful bird to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, who treat wildlife free of charge, so it could get the very best care possible.
“This Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) was allegedly found in a snare, and then subsequently sold on the side of the road. He was rescued and taken to the Springs SPCA, after which, he was transferred to us.”
Thankfully, the bird was mostly unharmed by the snare. He was underweight and dehydrated but showed excellent signs of making a full recovery. After blood tests confirmed there were no abnormalities, the wildlife vets placed him on an I/V drip, and he was able to stand on his own within 24-hours.
He was moved to an outdoor enclosure and has been eating very well. Now he is ready to be released back into the wild. The veterinary hospital relies on up-to-date research to effectively treat the wild animals that come through their doors. Having this Secretary Bird means they can do more for future Secretary Birds.
However, they need to place a tracking device on him to get the data required for future research. The wildlife veterinary hospital needs the help of the public to fit the tracking device.
“We would LOVE your support: much of the work we do, relies on the knowledge and information we have on the species we treat. We also pride ourselves in assisting in research wherever possible. In order to do this, we would like to place a satellite telemetry tracking device on him – this will provide vital data on the species. These devices cost R9000 – and we’d sincerely appreciate any assistance in purchasing one of these units for this BirdLife South Africa’s Melissa Whitecross to monitor his progress post-release.”
If you would like to assist them, you can find full donation information on their Facebook post here.
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