The pangolin is finally getting some attention. Sadly though – pangolin poaching is as prevalent as ever.
Earlier this February, our Welgevonden Big 5 volunteer project anti-poaching unit in South Africa found out about a pangolin sale which they intercepted, and then arrested five suspects.
Amazingly, the poached pangolin was still alive after nearly two weeks without food or water.
A joint security operation led to the arrest of five pangolin poachers.“We received word of a pangolin sale in the area and immediately followed up”, says Kassie Knoetze, Head of Security at Welgevonden Big 5 Volunteer Project in South Africa.
The team went on to lead a joint security operation during which they intercepted the deal and arrested five suspects. Based on the available evidence, two individuals were directly linked to the crime and have since been detained. The pangolin, a female that was poached in the Waterberg region of South Africa, was found in the boot of the poachers’ vehicle and is believed to have survived up to two weeks in the wildlife trade without food or water.
The pangolin was rushed to a veterinary clinic in Modimolle where she was successfully stabilised before being admitted to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital.
“Upon assessment, we discovered that the pangolin’s stomach was empty of food and infected with parasitic hookworms,” says Ray Jansen, Chairperson of the African Pangolin Working Group in South Africa.
“Veterinarians have since de-wormed the pangolin and fed her a protein-rich food supplement that should help boost her recovery.” “This young female pangolin is severely compromised, dehydrated and malnourished. Her full recovery depends on her ability to regain her strength, fight infection and to start foraging naturally as soon as possible,” said Ray. The African Pangolin Working Group, established in 2011 in South Africa, works closely with the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital to protect and rehabilitate pangolins across Africa.
The team at the African Pangolin Working Group will oversee the rehabilitation of the pangolin, a process that will hopefully lead to her reintroduction back into the wild.
