Pangolin
Photo Credit: Sarah Kempen & Lisa Tashley

A young pangolin pup has been rescued thanks to an incredible anti-poaching team and taken to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital’s secret pangolin ward.

 

Undisclosed Location, South Africa (23 June 2021) – It has been a while since we have shared a pangolin rescue story. The last one was about Tot, the pangolin pup born in captivity after his mom was rescued from poachers; that story was featured in December 2020.

We had hoped that the lack of stories about pangolin rescues meant poaching incidents had declined but sadly, not.

Yet another Pangolin has been saved from the clutches of an animal trafficker and taken to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital’s (JWVH) incredible team.

The veterinary hospital has become a leading expert in Pangolin medical treatment. However, with so many being found to have been trafficked, they have 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.

Earlier this year, the veterinary hospital received a massive investment into the work they do. As a result, they opened the first-ever dedicated Pangolin Veterinary Ward with thanks to Investec.

The medical staff stress 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 the animals are being treated.

A newly rescued pangolin pup has been taken to the Pangolin Veterinary Ward. The JWVH team have shared his progress since his arrival.

“Weighing in at 2.6kgs, this baby Temmincks pangolin was rescued from poachers in a joint operation between African Pangolin Working Group, South African Police Service, Cullinan STES, BHS Detective Station, BHS K9, Benoni K9, Silverton K9, Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Green Scorpions) and Pangolin K9!

Upon admission, Dr Kelsey took bloods under sedation to gain a better understanding of his overall health. In addition to this, this young pangolin underwent a CT scan – standard protocol for all our pangolin patients to ensure that we can do everything possible for them as well as see what underlying conditions we might not be able to pick up otherwise. Overall, this pup is in good health, but does however have a mild lung infection which we are treating and monitoring carefully.

As young as he is, he would ordinarily still have been with his mother in the wild. Our efforts to try and imitate this behaviour include daily walks to forage for termites and ants, but also feeding with a specialised milk formula which he LOVES.

Our sincere thanks to everyone involved in saving another precious life!

We treat indigenous wildlife, free of charge, relying on the community for donations and support.”

They have several ways that people can help. They accept donations here or see their full wishlist here. An easy way to get involved is to also nominate them on your MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet rewards card, which you can do so here. Or via direct bank transfer, see their banking details below.

Johannesburg Wildlife NPC
FNB Cheque account
Account nr: 62658400264
Branch code: 255355
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ

Or via SnapScan: https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/PXMP5766


Sources: JWVH
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About the Author

Tyler Leigh Vivier is a writer for Good Things Guy.

Her passion is to spread good news across South Africa with a big focus on environmental issues, animal welfare and social upliftment. Outside of Good Things Guy, she is an avid reader and lover of tea.

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