Pangolin rescued from illegal trade in Gauteng

A young female Temminck’s pangolin that had been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in Gauteng was recently admitted to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital.

She was transported to the Hospital’s off-site rehabilitation facility.

‘As part of our normal protocol, we sedated Cranberry [her new name] to take blood, give IV fluids for severe dehydration and treat her for shock,’ the Hospital said on Facebook. ‘Part of this protocol involves a CT scan once the pangolin is stable enough. Currently, she weighs just over 4kgs, meaning she is still a juvenile. She will need to gain a significant amount of weight before a slow-release process can be considered (>6.5kg is a good release weight).

‘So far she is doing well despite her harrowing poaching ordeal and we are cautiously optimistic that she too will one day be a wild and free pangolin again.’

The retrieval of the pangolin was a collaborative effort by the African Pangolin Working Group, Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Green Scorpions), the Cullinan Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit, Tshwane K9 unit and Benoni K9 unit after a tip-off from the public.

Picture: Ashleigh Pienaar

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