Malay, a young female pangolin, was rescued during a recent SAPS sting operation targeting wildlife traffickers. Malay was transported from Cape Town to the care of the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, where it was discovered that the hospital’s team was fighting for not one but two pangolins’ lives.
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During a sting operation in Cape Town a few days ago, the South African Police Service managed to rescue a young female Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) from wildlife traffickers.
Following the rescue, the team at Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital faced the difficult task of guiding her emergency stabilisation from nearly 1 500km away before she could be flown up to the hospital.
Pangolins do not naturally occur in Cape Town, according to the hospital, and there is only one other recorded incident of a pangolin being intercepted in the illegal trade in the Western Cape.
Malay, as she was affectionately named, was rushed to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, where Dr K, a specialist pangolin veterinarian, walked them through the evidence collection procedures and the emergency treatment the injured pangolin desperately required.
The next step was to get Malay as quickly as possible to the pangolin treatment facility. All pangolin patients are housed off-site at an undisclosed location for their own and the staff’s safety.
Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital expressed heartfelt gratitude to CemAir for sponsoring the flight, Bid Air Pet Travel for coming to the rescue with a suitable transport box, CapeNature Reserve and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) for the lightning-fast permit arrangements, and the CoGH SPCA for round-the-clock care and travel arrangements, all of which resulted in Malay’s safe and speedy passage to the veterinary hospital and ultimately her survival.
Despite being dehydrated, emaciated and severely injured from being tied up by her poachers, this tenacious little pangolin rallied hard, and during a CT scan to assess any internal damage, the team discovered that Malay is pregnant.
Malay has responded well to her treatment and care at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, and she has been moved to an undisclosed location under the care of Umoya Khulululula Wildlife Centre and Dr Debbie English at Provet Animal Hospital for the remainder of her rehabilitation journey back to the wild.
‘This pangolin’s amazing rescue, recovery and rehabilitation journey was dependent on many people and multiple organisations working together and stopping at nothing to ensure its success. It’s a pangolin story to be very proud of,’ the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital concluded.
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Picture: Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital / Facebook