The Aardwolf rescued and treated at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital is growing up fast; we love hearing about her success.
Johannesburg, South Africa (09 December 2020) – The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital (JWVH) have been sharing updates about their latest rescue, the tiny Aardwolf pup. We have shared the story of how the pup was rescued and adapting since then.
The Aardwolf (Earth wolf) is a rare sighting for many. Anyone who has seen one in the wild can consider themselves incredibly lucky. Its diet consists of termites which is digs for in the ground and into termite mounds. Because of its very specific diet, the Aardwolf lives only where the termites are. Their special hearing allows them to hear the termites moving in the ground. In an evening, an Aardwolf can eat up to 300,000 termites.
Aardwolves are nocturnal creatures and live mostly alone; they only pair up to mate and raise their young before going their separate ways. They are considered harmless carnivores.
We cannot explain how excited we got seeing the post by the JWVH. It is incredibly sad that the pup was unable to be reunited with its parents but having the chance to see an Aardwolf pup, even just by photos, is a very rare treat. Thankfully the vet is highly specialised in treating indigenous wildlife and have a network of experts to support them through the start of this pups life and onwards to its release one day.
The pup was rescued on a farm in the North West. The farmer’s Border Collie found the pup and alerted the owner. They failed to find the den where the pup had been born and with time running out, decided to reach out to the Johannesburg Wildlife Vet for help.
The pup has been with the vet since late October and is growing up really fast. Their latest update shows just how much she has grown.
“Our Aardwolf (Proteles cristata) cub is growing up! While she is almost fully weaned from her milk formula, she loves insects and currently weighs 2.6 kgs! She is now in an outside enclosure and goes for regular walks for enrichment, which includes digging for termites and discovering new sounds and smells.
Eventually, she will begin her slow release programme, where she will begin to catch her own insects and develop more independence in preparation for her eventual release.”
The beautiful pup will need to move onto solids so if you would like to sponsor her meals. You can find several ways to get involved here.
Or you can make a donation via direct deposit. The vet treats indigenous animals free of charge, relying solely on the donations and support of their community.
Johannesburg Wildlife NPC
FNB Cheque account
Account: 62658400264
Branch Code: 255355
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ
Or via SnapScan: https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/PXMP5766