A pregnant Temminck’s pangolin was rescued from suspected poaching and handed over to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital recently.
The Hospital stated that she was ‘retrieved from a community handover’ through a collaborative effort between the African Pangolin Working Group, South African Police Service (APWG), Endangered Species and Stock Theft Unit, and the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism.
‘Once she was admitted to our hospital, our well-developed Temminck’s pangolin protocol was followed, including sedation for blood samples to better understand her overall health,’ the Hospital said. ‘We discovered her pregnancy while doing a routine abdominal ultrasound, thankfully the foetus appeared alive and healthy. In addition to this, once she was stable, she was taken for 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.’
She has since been released, and under the watchful eyes of the APWG team on a private reserve.
The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital treats indigenous wildlife, free of charge, relying on the community for donations and support.
If you would like to donate, you can do so via below details:
Johannesburg Wildlife NPC
FNB Cheque account
Account nr: 62658400264
Branch code: 255355
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ
SNAPSCAN: https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/PXMP5766
Pictures: Sarah Kempen
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